Remember me?
by SapphireFxxxx
Summary: Working on a murder case, lieutenant Erza didn't expect to reunite with her childhood best friend, Jellal Fernandes. A brilliant, yet troubled man. After an attack that has left Erza suffering from amnesia, Jellal must use his keen intellect to find the killers; since they've made their first mistake by letting Erza survive… Modern AU
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Another story just randomly popped into my head the other day. I'm sorry for not updating 'The princess and the Assassin', I haven't been well lately and school is starting to become hectic.**

**This is a new story. It's a modern AU and well, there's a heck of a lot of OOC.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail.**

**Chapter 1: Reunion with the past**

* * *

**2 years before.**

_"Wake up…"_

_The lights, voices and a fresh supply of oxygen shot up her nose. Her blue hair fanned over her eyes._

_She focused on the black haired man lying dead beside her._

_'What happened?' She thought to herself._

_Her memory was suddenly crystal clear._

_She and her husband were waiting for her big brother to come home. Suddenly, there was a loud bang and everything turned black._

_Now, she lay on the ground, blood everywhere._

_And there are two men, towering over her. One with a gun to her head. They're in the kitchen; she could smell tequila and something else, something suicidal._

_He pushed the gun harder on her head, telling her not to worry, and then, nothing..._

* * *

Erza Scarlet walked up the steps of the police department and stopped when she got to the polished wooden doors. A warm breeze swept past her, causing her scarlet hair to flutter dramatically.

With one last look at the peaceful neighborhood around her, she swiftly entered the police department.

A blonde haired third-grade detective looked up at the scarlet haired woman as she entered the reception. She waved a piece of paper around and grinned widely. "Hey Erza, Natsu and Gray got another case!"

"What's it about?" Erza asked, making her way to her office.

"A person was taken while walking his dog in the park earlier this morning." The blonde explained.

"Ah," The scarlet haired woman huffed, "Interesting."

The third-grade detective frowned, "Everything okay, Titania?" she questioned, "You seem rather insecure."

Erza rolled her eyes at her nickname and stopped walking. She studied the blonde haired girl looking up at her with concerned eyes. "Everything's fine Lucy. Great."

Before Lucy could say something else, another person stepped into the reception. "Lieutenant Erza," he called, looking around for the scarlet haired officer.

"I'm here, Laxus," Lieutenant said, waving her arm. "I was just on my way to my office. I'll file the docu-"

"Not necessary, Erza." He interrupted, "Chief Makarov wishes to see you. It's urgent."

* * *

Erza entered the Chief's office. She looked around the room, large carpets covered the cold stone floor, magnolia colored walls and the pale curtains drawn, allowing the daylight in. His old, oak table was overflowing with important paperwork.

"Chief Makarov?"

"Erza, you came." His deep resounding voice whispered. The old man turned around to face her and gestured to the seat in front of him. "Sit."

The scarlet haired woman nodded and sat down. "Is there something wrong?"

"Did you read the files I placed on your desk this morning?"

"No Chief," she responded, "I literally just got here."

Makarov looked at the lieutenant and then threw a file over to her side of the table. "Read." He ordered.

She frowned and picked up the files. Quickly, she opened it and read the information in it. Her confused expression slowly turned into a shocked one. "Makarov isn't this?" She asked, but was too shocked to carry on.

"Yes. It is." He replied, "The murder of Levy and Gajeel Redfox."

"This happened almost two years ago. We still couldn't find the murderer, even with the help of Sabertooth police department."

"I know." Makarov sighed, holding out a piece of paper, "this is the reason I wanted to speak to you. The DNA Gray extracted from a recent, unsolved case matched the DNA of these people."

Lieutenant took the paper and read it carefully, "That's impossible!" She cried, "This is a mistake. They can't possibly be the same people."

"The DNA machine never lies Erza," Makarov grumbled, "This means that they're back on the streets, hunting innocent people."

"What will we do?"

"I want you to lead the investigation. The entire police department will work with you. You'll be in charge of this case." He instructed, "Also, we have someone from the TOH secret intelligence service coming to help."

"What?" She asked, "Why would someone from the secret services come and help?"

"The head of the TOH says that he was one of the agents working the case two years ago." Makarov explained, "They also said that he's the best agent they have."

Erza cleared her throat, "who is he?"

* * *

"Stroke of luck, eh Sir?" A maroon haired man asked. He watched his blue haired colleague unbutton his cuffs and lean back on his chair. The sunlight shone on his face, making the red tattoo that covered the entire right side of his face more prominent. "Luck?" He chuckled, his deep baritone voice echoed in his large office. "Only a piece of good fortune, Erik."

"Indeed," Erik answered, pulling out his notebook, "To be honest with you boss, she didn't really fit the profile. I mean, she looked far too young."

"The fifth victim was only Twenty one." The ultramarine stated, handing him a photo, "even though she was in her early twenties, she looked as helpless as a child."

"She was missing for the past month until Ultear was able to track her cellphone." The maroon haired man said, "after that, the police found her dead in her apartment. Just like Levy and Gajeel. She too died of a gunshot wound to the head."

The bluenette placed a cigarette in his mouth and lit it up, before taking a deep breath. "These sons of bitches." He growled.

"I hope you're not addressing that to me." Said a stern voice. The two men looked up and saw a beautiful raven haired woman standing at the door. "Erik, a little privacy please."

Erik nodded and stood up, "I'll see you later boss."

The bluenette blew out some smoke and waved, "yeah, sure." He said, turning to the raven haired woman, "how may I be of help to you, Ultear?"

Ultear glared at him, "Jellal, I told you not to smoke in here." She reminded.

"It's my office though."

"Whatever." Ultear sighed, "I've told Fairy Tail Police Department that you'll arrive at their headquarters shortly."

Jellal threw the butt of his cigarette in the bin. He grabbed some pills from the drawer and swallowed it with water, "right." He replied, standing up, "Is Erik coming?"

"No." She answered, "You're the only one going."

"But he's my partner."

"So?" She asked, "I told them if was just you."

"Fine," he mumbled, grabbing his car keys, "I'll go on my own."

"Stop being such a baby."

The blue haired man grinned and walked towards the door to his office.

"Wait," she called, "wear your tie, do up your top button and fix your hair. You look like a mess."

"Okay mother." He mocked, doing up his tie, "honestly, it doesn't really make a difference."

"It makes you look more representable."

"No it do-"

"Just shut up." Ultear growled, watching him smirk as he left the room.

* * *

"EVERYONE, SHUT UP AND LISTEN!" Makarov roared, causing everyone in the room to fall silent. From the middle of the room, a pinkette and a black haired man stopped their fight to look up at their chief.

"Is there a fight? If there is, I WANNA JOIN IN!" The pinkette screamed.

"BE QUIET NATSU!" Makarov cried.

"He's right you know." The black haired man said, removing Natsu from his head lock.

"Shut up Gray."

"Make me, Flamebrain."

"You asking for another fight eh?!"

"SHUT UP AND LET THE CHIEF CONTINUE!" Lieutenant yelled.

"Aye!" They squeaked, trembling under the glare of the scarlet haired woman.

Makarov cleared his throat, "we have a member of the Tower Of Heaven helping us with the investigation. But, from now onwards, Lieutenant Erza scarlet will be in charge."

"When's he coming?" Gray asked.

"He will be here any minute! So everyone should be on their best behavior." Everyone glared at Natsu, "this man is the best agent in the business."

"Alright!" Natsu shouted enthusiastically, "I'm all fired!"

Lucy smiled at the scarlet haired woman, "the best? We must be in luck!"

"I know." Erza replied, "It's great, isn't it?"

"Remember, this person works for the secret services. He's very smart, so don't underestimate him." He carried on, "we must show our upmost respect to him and-"

A deep chuckled interrupted the Chief's lecture. Everyone whipped around to face a young man leaning coolly against one of the desks, "That won't be necessary Makarov."

Erza's eyes popped out her head and her heart stopped momentarily at that recognizable voice. She immediately turned around to see his bright azure hair, intense hazel eyes and red tattoo ringing his right one.

The bluenette's eyes scanned the room, "it'll be a pleasure working with you guys." He spoke. His voice sending shivers down Erza's spine. Suddenly, his eyes locked onto her brown ones. His serious expression was then replaced with a large smile, "Erza, what a surprise." He murmured, "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

The lieutenant stood in disbelief at the man before her, "Jellal?"

* * *

**What do you guys think?**

**I plan on updating 'The Princess and the Assassin' on thursday or friday.**


	2. Chapter 2

**The second chapter is out! I hope you all enjoy it!**

**Thanks for the review, I really appreciate it!**

**Chapter 2: A murder game**

* * *

"Jellal?"

The bluenette smiled and bowed his head slightly, "the one and only."

Erza looked at him for a moment. His black cloak hung loosely on his shoulders. Under his cloak, he wore a navy, sharp-looking and slim fitted suit that embraced his body well, showing off his slender torso. The slenderness ended when her eyes moved up to his protuberant chest. The dark colour of his suit brought out the brightness of his silky azure hair and his maroon tattoo. The sunlight made his hazel eyes glitter as he carried on staring back at the lieutenant with a large smile.

The two stared at each other, ignoring the Chief's explanation. Erza was too focused on how long haven't they an each other for, and how he has grown into such a fine man. Suddenly, Makarov stood between them, breaking their stare. "Let me show you to your temporary office, Agent Fernandes." He said.

Jellal turned to the chief, "sure, let's go."

The two brushed past the scarlet haired detective, who was still bewildered at the ultramarine's unexpected visit. Lucy waved her hand in front of her face, "Earth to Erza."

Lieutenant blinked several times before coming out her shock, "I'm sorry. I was just thinking."

"Who was he?" The blonde asked, "he shocked you. That's something nobody has ever done."

Natsu and Gray launched themselves towards the lieutenant, "ERZA! WHO THE HELL WAS HE?!" They bombarded at the same time. Before they could knock the scarlet haired woman over, she grabbed them and slammed their heads together.

"Don't scream at me!" She roared, "I'm still thinking!"

The two grasped their heads in pain, "aye…"

"Erza?" Lucy asked.

"He…" Erza started, "he was my childhood best friend."

"Why were so shocked to see him?" Gray asked, still holding his throbbing forehead.

"It's been so long since I've seen him." She mumbled, "we were 11 and then, he left so unexpectedly."

Natsu balled his fist, "if he makes you cry Erza, I'll beat him up for you!"

"She didn't say that, you idiot!" Gray shouted.

"Maybe she's hinting it!" The pinkette shouted back.

"Why the hell would Erza want her childhood best friend beaten up?" Lucy asked.

"Good measures?"

Lucy slapped the carefree pinkette in the face, "shut up."

Erza ignored the three, staring at the direction she last saw the bluenette, "Jellal…"

* * *

"Welcome to your office." Makarov spoke.

Jellal walked in and looked around. There was a desk that seems almost unnecessary with its lack of documents and paperwork. Behind it was a black leather desk chair. The room was rather big, with grayish-blue carpet covering the floor. The deep purple curtains are drawn to one side, allowing the light from outside the second-story window to paint the white wall.

"I like it." He murmured, "it's really nice."

The chief smiled, "I'm glad." he said, turning to the door, "lieutenant Erza is in charge of the investigation, if you have any queries, ask her."

Suddenly, as if on cue, Erza poked her head into the office, "did you say my name Chief?"

The chief walked out the office, "yes, I did." He replied, "I just told him who's in charge of the investigation."

Erza watched him disappear and turned to the blue haired agent. He removed his cloak, tailored jacket and tie. "How have you been, Erza?" He asked, unbuttoning the first three buttons of his shirt.

"I've been fine." She replied, watching him unbutton his cuffs.

He rolled up his sleeves, revealing the gold watch on his left wrist, "hmm. I can tell things have gone well for you. Who are you engaged to?" He asked, looking at the ring on her left ring finger.

All of a sudden, Lucy appeared at the door, "Agent Fernandes, do you want me to tour you around the department?"

The ultramarine shook his head, "we haven't got time for any of that." He declined, "we need to start working on this case straight away."

Lucy nodded, "is there anything I could possibly do for you, Agent Fernandes?"

"Call me Jellal," he said, collapsing on his chair, "and actually, yes." He pulled out his car keys, "can you get the box of documents in my car, please?"

"Sure." Lucy agreed, taking his car keys and then leaving.

He turned to Erza who was still staring at him, "take a seat." He ordered, "tell me more about the body you found. You know, Cheila Blendy."

The scarlet haired woman was still looking at him, mesmerized by the darkness of his bronze eyes. "Um…" she stammered, "well, she was around twenty one years old and died of a gunshot wound to the head."

The blue haired man leaned his chin on his hand and closed his eyes, "such a cruel agenda..."

Lucy arrived, holding a large box. "You have a really nice car, Jellal." She placed it and his keys on the desk and smiled at him, "your box, sir."

Jellal stood up and looked into the box, "thanks." He said, taking out a file and examining it, "now, I'm sure you've heard about the murder of Levy and Gajeel Redfox."

"Heard?" Lucy asked, "they were detectives and they worked here, with us."

"Their deaths were something we'll never forget…" Erza said sadly.

"Take this." Jellal commanded, holding out the files, "it's got everything I managed to find for the past two years."

"You've never stop working the investigation since their murder?" Lucy asked, "I never knew the secret services did investigations of their own."

"We don't."

"Then how did you get all this?" Erza asked, pointing at the box filed with paperwork.

"My boss, Ultear allowed me to help with this case." He said, "as long as I never told anyone at the TOH."

All of a sudden, the three heard screaming from outside the office.

Lucy sighed, "Natsu and Gray." She huffed.

Natsu burst through the doors, closely followed by Gray, "Erza, we've been looking all over for you!" Natsu screamed.

"Pipe down you idiot!" Lucy barked, "we're doing something!"

"Hey, is this the Secret Agent, Chief was talking about?" Gray asked.

"Yes," Erza answered, "this is Jellal Fernandes. Jellal, this is detective Natsu and inspector Gray."

The bluenette shook their hand, "pleasure to meet you." He greeted.

"Tell us everything you know about the case."

"Okay," Jellal mumbled, standing up, "Two years ago, I worked on this case with my partner, Erik. We manage to work out that there was two people involved. They were working together and we all know, that two killer are more deadly than one."

Gray nodded, "then, they went into hiding for a while."

The ultramarine clicked his fingers, "precisely. They went into hiding for a few months, before murdering their third target, Macbeth. A TOH agent." He continued, "after that, their fourth target, Sherry Blendy, followed by her cousin, Cheila."

"Is there a connection between them?"

"As far as I'm concerned, no." Jellal stated, "However, there was a murder that too-"

There was a knock on the door and a large man with brown hair and brown eyes entered the office, "Hey Erza." He murmured.

"And, who are you?" Jellal asked, pissed off that everyone kept interrupting him.

"I'm Simon." The brunette answered, holding out his hand, "Erza's Fiance."

"Aha…" he replied, looking at his hand, not bothering to shake it.

"Simon, we were in the middle of something." Natsu growled.

"I'm sorry for interrupting." He apologized, turning to Erza "I was wondering if you'd want to get some lunch."

"Well, actually, Jellal-" Erza started.

"No, no, no." Jellal said quickly, "go, do what you please. Go grab some lunch. I'll do it on my own."

Erza watched the ultramarine head to the door. She felt an urge to grab his hand and hold him close. But, she knows she can't do that, not when Simon's around, "Jellal." She called.

The bluenette stopped and turned to her, "Erza?"

"Come with us."

"YEAH!" Natsu cried enthusiastically, "I want to know what a secret agent does!"

"Come on Jellal!" Lucy begged.

The Agent chuckled. But his smile disappeared as he thought about Erza and Simon, "I'm sorry, I'm a very busy man." He answered, before leaving.

Disappointment filled Erza as she watched him leave them and head towards the chief's office.

* * *

Jellal returned to his office an hour later. He collapse on his chair and read the newest Intel he got from the chief, while the others were still having lunch. He noticed a letter on his table. "That's odd. Was that there before?" He asked himself.

He picked it up and studied it closely. On the letter, it said: 'To Jellal.'

Quickly, the bluenette opened it.

_Dear Secret Agent Fernandes,_

_What can I say? It's been such a long time since our last encounter. I wanted to invite you to consider the concept of freedom. True freedom. Nowadays, it's hard for criminals to get freedom because of you. The best agent of the secret services working with the Lieutenant of Fairy Tail. The way you found out that there was two of us behind this, really intrigued me. You, on your own? Especially with the fact that you weren't allowed to work detective cases in a secret service unit._

_Somehow, you were still able to do it. But now, you've got many other responsibilities as a secret agent, haven't you? Like the mission you embarked on in X786. That is something very fascinating. I will not insult your intelligence and your brilliant mind about the endless needs of marginal errors, Agent Fernandes because for someone like you, errors don't exist in your world. It's all about freedom, Secret Agent. But then again, you'd know, won't you? Don't worry Jellal, I'll call you some day…_

Jellal looked around, his heart pounding loudly in his chest. Whoever left this letter, must have been close. Suddenly, his phone began ringing. He took it out and looked at the text on it.

"Let's play a game, Secret Agent."

* * *

**Later that evening**

A hooded figure watched unblinking, as a person with long green hair walked hand in hand with her daughter. He turned to his partner at the other side of the road and gestured to him.

The masked man nodded and followed his partner's lead. He turned his attention back to the mother and daughter, who were chatting and laughing. They looked directly at the two but didn't see them since it was dark.

The two stayed far from them so they won't be spotted. They walked past a small band of shops and turned to a small isolated road.

The killers were in luck.

The green haired woman slid her keys into the lock and then, the hooded man's hand moved to her face. She yelped in fear and the other man held a knife to her daughter.

"Asuka!" She cried, attempting to reach out for the one she loved dearly.

"Stop yer yapping and open the door." The man said, "or your daughter gets it."

A tear slipped down her face as her clueless daughter looked up at her. "Mommy, What's going on?" The toddler asked, looking at the two strangers.

"Please..." her voice was muffled by him and the words were lost.

* * *

Well, Tell me what you guys think of it!


	3. Chapter 3

**Another chapter for you all.**

**Thanks for reviewing. I love you all!**

**Enjoy the next chapter!**

**Chapter 3: A game to play**

* * *

It was another gray morning and Jellal stared out across the city of Magnolia. This view was completely different to the one from his other office in the TOH. Wide awake and focused, he sat there and studied death. He looked at the pieces of stationary before him and put it in order of size first.

His concentration was interrupted when Lucy entered his office. "Jellal, something just happened." She said quickly, "a body of a young woman had just been found."

The bluenette quickly sat up from his slouching position, "really?" He asked, remembering the letter he got from the killers.

"Yes, Erza and the others are returning from the crime scene." She answered, "But, the victim wasn't killed because of a gunshot wound to the head."

"How was she killed?"

"She was strangled and then shot."

* * *

"Gray, tell us about her." Erza spoke, as they walked through the department.

"This woman, her name is Bisca Connell. She was twenty-five years old." Gray said, holding out a photograph to the group of detectives.

"Wow, she was young." Natsu replied.

"Tell me about it." Lucy joined in.

The group returned to Jellal's office, to find him staring at a board filled with images with his arms crossed over his chest and a cigarettes hanging from his mouth. "What else do you know about her, apart from her name?"

"Her husband broke up with her last year, when their daughter turned two." Lucy explained, taking a seat "she was found dead in her home this morning. Strangely, there was no sign of forced entry."

"Why would you let a pair of serial killers into your house, in the middle of the night, with a toddler?" Natsu asked.

All of a sudden, Laxus knocked on the door and entered, "sorry to disturb you guys."

"Is there something wrong, Laxus?" Erza questioned.

"Did someone order pizza?"

Jellal paused for a minute and got rid of the cigarette, "that would be me." He said excitedly, walking over to Laxus and taking the pizza box, "you want a slice?"

"Sure." Laxus answered, taking a slice before leaving.

The ultramarine head back to his desk and offered the pizza to his new friends, "she didn't let them in." He justified, taking a slice of his own, "she was forced to let him in because of her daughter."

"They threatened her daughter." Erza gasped, looking at Jellal and the others munching on the pizza, "why order a pizza in the middle of an investigation?"

"I was hungry. Do you want one?" The ultramarine asked, "it's stuffed crust and pepperoni."

Erza rolled her eyes at his childish behavior and took a slice.

The secret agent took out his phone, "the photos you sent me, shows that the sternocleidomastoid muscle has been bruised. Indicating that she struggled while she was being suffocated."

Erza and the others looked at the bluenette in amazement. How on earth did he know the name of such a muscle, they will never know.

"She might have clawed the killer while she struggled, leaving some of the killer's DNA under her nails."

"Simon's gone to check that."

There was a knock and Simon entered the office, "I've got the DNA." He uttered. "Who's pizza is that?"

"Mine." Jellal replied.

"Can I have one?"

Jellal narrowed his eyes and pulled the box towards his chest, like a child not wanting to share his toys with his friends, "My pizza."

"Who's the killer?" Natsu, Gray and Lucy said in perfect unison.

"It's her husband, Alzack Connell."

* * *

"Alzack Connell, this is FTPD." Gray shouted, standing in front of the door with the other officers. "Open the damn door, or we'll knock it down!"

"Breaking down doors, NOW I'M ALL FIRED UP!"

From the other side of the street, Jellal stood, looking up at the house. Erza stood by his side, "is there something wrong Jellal?"

The ultramarine studied the house closely, "I've got a strange feeling about this..."

"It must've been the pizza."

"No... It's not that." He mumbled. Suddenly, his phone began ringing. The bluenette looked at the lieutenant before answering it. "Hello?"

"Agent Fernandes…" the voice spoke, "look up at the window."

He shifted his gaze to the window on the far left of the house. There, stood a black haired man, looking down at him. He pointed a gun to his own forehead and held a phone with his other hand. "Alzack, put the gun down and I swear, we'll negotiate."

"I can't." Alzack sobbed, "Otherwise, they'll kill her too."

"What are you talking about?"

Erza looked at the Secret Agent for a moment, "Jellal, What's going on?"

"Dammit Alzack, tell me what on earth is going on!"

"I've been asked to deliver a message to you, Fernandes. Only you must know." the black haired man whispered.

"Why me?'

"Because they said they were gonna kill Asuka if anyone else finds out!"

"Asuka is safe. She's sitting in the chief's office. So tell me, what do they want with the police?"

"Listen Fernandes, they're not interested in your little friends. All they want, is you."

"This is not a game I asked to play."

"You've got no choice."

"Alzack, put the gun down, come down here and we'll talk."

"You don't get it, do you?"

"Huh?"

"The game has just begun."

A loud gunshot sounded and pierced Jellal's right ear. He cried out and grasped his forehead.

"Alzack!"

"BREAK THE DOOR DOWN!" Laxus roared.

Lieutenant gently grabbed him, "Jellal, what happened?" She demanded, "who was that?!"

Jellal groaned, still partially deaf from the loud bang. He heard the dial tone on his phone and declined it, "Shit…" he mumbled.

Lieutenant's walkie talkie sounded, "Erza, the house is clear."

"Okay Gray, what about Alzack?"

"You're not going to believe this if I told you."

"Tell me, Gray!"

"He's dead."

* * *

While everyone praised each other for finding the supposed 'killer'. Jellal sat in his office, thinking about the conversation Alzack and him had, before he decided to take his own life. Many question crossed his brilliant mind.

Was Alzack really the killer?

Who was 'they' Alzack spoke of?

What is this game they're playing?

"Jellal, why are you still miserable?" Erza asked, snapping him out his daydream, "we found the killer, didn't we?"

"We have to find the 'killers', young scarlet. Plural. There's two of them." He said standing up, "Alzack was not the killer. This isn't going to be as easy as that."

Lieutenant blushed at her nickname. She remembered when he used to call her that, "How do you know?"

"If he was, then why would he leave his own flesh and bones with the body of her mother, all by herself?" He asked, "he had no intention of killing Bisca. If he did, Asuka would be with him. He was framed. Someone fucked up the DNA."

Erza blinked, trying to soak up what he just said, "but-"

"Think about it, young scarlet. There were two people that night she was murdered." He interrupted, "Alzack is not the killer, and we were looking for the wrong guy. The killers diverted our path. The lousy fuckers..."

"That's not possible." She whispered, stunned at the amount of information he just blurted out, "how did you find this out?"

"That's not the issue right now, young scarlet." He said, removing his tie and undoing his buttons, "get Asuka. I need to ask her a few questions."

"She's two years old, Jellal."

"I know. I just want to speak to her." He spoke. With that, Jellal pushed the lieutenant out his office, "no more questions required, just get her for me, pretty please?" He asked and watched her disappear into the crowd of people. He caught a glimpse of Simon trying his best not to get noticed.

Unfortunately, the ultramarine spotted him. Forcefully, he grabbed the brunette's collar and dragged him into his office, "what the fuck do you think you're doing, Simon?!"

"What? I don't know what's going on!"

"Cut the crap!" Jellal growled, "you compromised the DNA, didn't you?!"

"No!"

"LIAR!"

"I'm not lying!" Simon begged, "I swear I didn't do anything!"

"You made an innocent person take his own life, leaving his daughter behind!" He screamed, "Made us chase the wrong person!"

"I didn't do anything!"

Jellal gave a frustrated roar and slammed him against the wall, "you son of a bitch! I didn't come here to have someone screw things up for me!" He cried, "I plan on finding the killers, and you're number one on my hit list."

"I'm telling you Jellal, I did nothing with that DNA."

"You might be my childhood best friend's fiance, but let me tell you something," he hissed, "if I see you fucking up this case again, I'll kill you."

"Okay," Simon breathed, looking into the bluenette's fierce eyes.

"What's going on in here?" A voice asked.

Jellal turned his face to the scarlet haired woman with a child beside her. He turned back to Simon, "get the hell outta my face." He snarled and threw him out his office.

Erza and Simon were surprised at the amount sheer power this man had. Simon scuttled away and Erza looked at him, confused at what just happened, "I brought Asuka."

The Agent looked down at the young girl hiding behind Erza. He knew that he had to gain her trust.

* * *

"I never knew you liked cats, Asuka?"

The little girl looked at him and smiled nervously, "my mom promised me she'll get me a real cat for Christmas." She whispered, looking at her stuffed cat, her face a picture of pure concentration.

"I'm sure you've been a good girl," Jellal said, "maybe father Christmas will give you one earlier."

"He will?"

"Of course he will." Jellal assured. He felt himself sweating and it wasn't because of the temperature. He watched her walked around the table and stood in front of him. Erza raised a brow, "Asuka, come sit back down."

"What's your name?" The toddler asked.

"Jellal." He answered, "What's your cat's name?"

"Trisha." She replied, placing the cat on his lap, "my mom named her."

"That's a beautiful name." He whispered, looking down at the stuffed animal, "Asuka, do you remember anything about the men you saw last night?"

The little girl didn't answer, but carried on looking at him.

Erza held her breath, afraid that the slightest movement could ruin everything.

"Was the man older than me?"

The girl climbed up his leg and looked at him, "I was scared and I didn't see…" she sniffed, "I'm sorry..."

Jellal embraced the toddler, "no need to cry, kid." He murmured, standing up "Was he taller than me? That's all I need to know."

Asuka pulled her head back and nodded, "they were the same height." She replied, before burying her face back into his shoulder.

He flicked his eyes to Erza. She pursed her lips together and shook her head. "Come on Asuka, Let's get you back to your grandfather."

"Will you find the people who did this?"

"I will Asuka." He said, setting her down on the floor, "I know how you feel."

"No you don't…"

"Trust me, kiddo. I do." He smiled and handed her stuffed cat back, "I'm sure Trisha wants to go see granddad the chief."

She smiled and hugged the toy, "thank you, sir." She said, heading towards Erza.

"Let's go now, Asuka."

The bluenette watched them leave. He'd instantly seen it, but it took him a while to figure out exactly what he saw in the child's eyes. In her face, behind those long lashes, he had seen doubt.

Her smile was beautiful, but it had a flicker of uncertainty to it.

He sighed and thought about the poor child.

_Asuka Connell, an orphan at just age two._

_Asuka Connell, a young, bright girl, having to watch as they killed her mother in front of her and left her all night with her corpse._

"Jellal?"

He stared out for another few minutes before turning to the lieutenant and the others standing at his door. "Hey."

"We're going for dinner, care to join?" Erza asked, hoping he would say yes.

"I'm working overtime." He said, "I'm sorry."

Gray nodded, "that's a shame... It would've been great to have you join us."

Natsu held Lucy's hand, "you should join us some other time, Jellal."

"Don't worry. I will."

Erza narrowed her eyes. He's hiding something from them, "Good work, Jell. You found out that Alzack wasn't the killer." She praised, but he didn't look up at her and carried on staring out into space.

Simon suddenly appeared, "C'mon, Let's go."

The ultramarine glared at the brunette as they left his office. He watched, with jealousy as Simon took hold of her hand and left the department. He sighed, _'you don't deserve her, Jellal.'_ He thought to himself, '_you'll only hurt her.'_

When his phone rang on, he startled a bit and looked at the number on it: private number. He looked around his empty office and answered it.

"Secret Agent Fernandes. I told you I'll call you." The voice on the phone was deep and harsh. It was low and cold, almost like a monotone.

"I beg to differ." Jellal hissed, "tell me something, what is this 'game' I'll be playing?"

"You must find us before everyone you love perishes."

"Why involve them, when this is just a game between you, me and your buddy?"

"Levy's already gone Jellal. Let's not have that happen to your other friends."

Jellal didn't say anything about that last comment her just made.

"The game puts both our lives on the line. So, you must know the consequences."

Jellal took out a pen and a piece of paper, "I like games." He smirked, "I'll play. What are the rules?"

"One simple rule: only you are allowed to play Jellal. No one else, just you."

"So, it's two against one?"

"Pretty much." The voice uttered, "I'll be leaving clues behind, so don't get your pants in a twist."

"The clue you left last time led me to the wrong man."

"I know. You'll figure it out soon enough," He laughed, "I'll speak to you soon, Altair."

"How do you know my nickname?"

"I know everything."

Jellal hung up and looked out into the darkness, "if it's a game you want to play." He grinned, "Then game on."


	4. Chapter 4

**God, this chapter took longer forever for me to write.**

**Well,** **I hope you enjoy it!**

**Chapter 4: What's within?**

* * *

_Did you see it happen, Asuka? Maybe, they shoved you into another room, or did you scream and cry as they choked your mother to death and then shot her?_

"JELLAL!"

The bluenette groaned and lifted his head slowly. He looked around and met Erza's concerned eyes, "what happened?"

"You feel asleep in your office."

He looked down at his watch, '7:10.' He chuckled softly and buried his face into his arms, "another Twenty minutes please... perhaps thirty?"

Erza narrowed her eyes and launched herself at him, "We're investigating something serious and here you are, acting like a five year ol-" her foot suddenly caught on the legs of the table and prevented her from taking another step, "KYAA!"

The ultramarine looked up and saw a bunch of scarlet moving quickly towards him. The next minute, he felt a weight on his stomach and chest. Erza opened her eyes, noticing that she landed on something rather hard and heard gentle heartbeats.

She pulled her head back slowly to see Jellal's white shirt, which had been unbuttoned, revealing his angular collarbone and the peak of his chest. Her face rivaled her hair as she realized the position she was in. She looked up at him, his cheeks had a slight red tint to it, but he was still smiling.

"I'm awake now." He murmured.

There was a knock on the door and the two turned around to see the blonde haired, third-grade detective looking at them, "oh, Erza..."

The bluenette twisted his chair around to her a better look at Lucy, with Erza still sitting on his lap. "Lucy, how may I help you?"

The blonde haired women smiled mischievously, "I was looking for you actually." She replied, "But, it looks like you're rather busy at the moment."

"What are you talking about?"

She pointed at them, "no comments."

Jellal looked at Erza, who got off his lap and straightened herself up, "I-I'm so s-sorry!"

"That's alright Erza, no harm done." He spoke softly, still smiling.

"Yeah, Erza. No harm done." Lucy smirked.

"Lucy, I swear, it's not what you think!" Lieutenant stammered.

"Of course it's not." The blonde grumbled, turning to Jellal. She pulled out her phone, "there was someone calling me. The person said that he wanted to speak to you."

"Why didn't he call me?" He asked, standing up, "did he say what his name was?"

"He said his name was Erik." She answered, placing it on his desk, "he was trying to get to your phone."

The ultramarine took out his phone and looked at the amount of missed calls he has, "Whoops." He murmured, "I fell asleep."

"And, I have the DNA from the stand of hair I collected from Bisca's shirt." She carried on, giving Jellal a piece of paper. "It's human hair. But, it didn't match anyone in the system."

"So, we're looking for person who's not a criminal." He mumbled, looking up at the third grade detective, "how unconventional."

"Why would two people just go on a killing spree?"

"That's simple, Lucy." He started, "these people might feel threatened and want to seek revenge. Or they have some sort of mental illness that makes them a bit paranoid."

The blonde nodded her head, impressed by his knowledge, "interesting."

"Can I have a look?" Erza asked, pointing at the evidence Lucy gave him.

He hugged the paper tightly, "No, my piece of evidence."

Erza frowned and chased him, "c'mon Jellal. Stop acting like such a baby."

The bluenette ran away from her, "but, it's mine."

Lucy quirked a brow at him, stunned by his childlike behavior, "uh…"

"Give me that, Jellal." She commanded, watching the ultramarine walk over his desk and stand behind his chair, "now."

"Mine." Jellal pouted, moving it to the side to prevent her from snatching it out his hand, "if you want it, then come get it, young scarlet."

"You're testing my patience, aren't you?"

"Maybe." he sang. Suddenly, his phone began ringing, "Agent Fernandes."

"Jellal, it's Erik." The voice spoke, "I need to speak to you."

"What? I can't hear you." He replied, holding the evidence up in the air so that Erza couldn't reach it, "Erik?"

"Jellal! Give it to me!" Lieutenant demanded, "Otherwise, I won't let you order pizza anymore!"

"Um... Erza, I could always print out another copy." Lucy suggested.

"I want the master copy!"

"Erik, I'll have to call you back." He murmured.

"Alright Sir."

The ultramarine put his phone down and looked at the Erza, who was still trying to get the evidence from him, "here." He said, handing it to her, "now, if you don't mind. I need to make a call."

* * *

"Erik, What's up?" Jellal queried, looking out at the endless blue sky, "you never usually call me 37 times."

"Altair, we need you back at headquarters, now." Erik spoke quickly.

"Woah. Woah. Why the rush?"

"Something happened, Sir"

The ultramarine felt an uncomfortable sensation in his stomach, "what happened? Is Ultear and Meredy okay? Did someone get hurt?"

"Calm down boss," Erik assured, "everyone's fine. No one knows what happened, just me."

"What happened, Erik?"

"Someone broke into your office last night."

"Shit," he growled, "what did they take?"

"I'm not sure. But there's a…" Erik trailed off, "you better come here and look at it yourself, Sir. However, it's a two hour drive."

"Don't worry, I'll get there in an hour."

Lucy smiled at the lieutenant, "he's just a friend, eh?"

"Woah! You're going a step too far, Lucy! He's not my-"

"Boyfriend?" She grinned, "of course he's not. You've got Simon right?"

Erza looked down at the ground, "yeah..."

"Erza, is he still mistreating you?!"

"No…" the scarlet haired woman lied, pretending to read the evidence.

"That's obviously a lie." Lucy growled, "Just ditch him, Erza. He doesn't deserve you."

"I've been trying for the past few weeks!" Lieutenant admitted, "I just don't know what to say. I don't really like him..."

"You don't like Jellal?"

"No, no, no. I like Jellal... I hate Simon."

"Why did you agree to marry him?"

"I didn't! I was forced!" Erza justified, "I was forced to marry him and pretend to love him. Now, how the hell am I gonna ditch him?"

"Why don't you just go up to him, take out your ring, and tell him to shove it up his-"

"Hey Erza," Simon greeted, walking into Jellal's office, "what are you up to?"

"Nothing." She answered, "What about you?"

"I'm just here to see how my girl's doing." Simon winked, "you wanna go and get lunch later?"

The scarlet haired woman mentally gagged, "um… su-"

"What Erza is trying to say," Lucy interrupted, "is that she can't get lunch today because she has to send files to Sabertooth."

"Lucy, that's-"

"She's very busy at the moment."

"Don't worry, I'll just wait until you're ready." Simon murmured.

Erza looked Lucy, her eyes pleading the blonde to get her out the situation. "Actuall-" Lucy started, but was interrupted.

"What are you doing in my office?" Asked a harsh voice.

Simon's blood ran cold, hearing such a venomous voice in his ear. They looked up at the door. Jellal stood, his arms crossed and his eyes narrowed at the brunette. Erza shivered at how cold and inhumane his glare was. For a person who acts like a child most of the time, seeing him like this was rather strange.

"I was checking on Erza." Simon replied.

"Of course you were."

The brunette gulped at his threatening posture, "I was though."

"I don't care what you're doing." Jellal growled, walking towards him, "I told you to get outta my face."

"Sure, I could do that." He stammered, running out his office.

"Son of a bitch…" the ultramarine cursed, putting on his tailored jacket.

Erza breathed out a sigh of relief, "thank goodness." She gasped, "where are you going, Jell?"

"I have to go back to the Tower of Heaven. Something happened back there."

"I'm coming with you."

"Young scarlet, that's not really necessa-"

"I'm coming with you, Jellal." Erza murmured, standing up, "I don't trust you on your own."

"Fine." He said, defeated. He turned to the third grade detective. "Lucy."

"Yeah?"

"Feel free to use my office." He mumbled, grabbing Erza's hand, "let's go."

* * *

"Hurry up, Jellal." Erza growled, "Where did you park your car?"

Suddenly, she heard the loud roar of a V12 engine and turned to see Jellal pull up beside her. Her eyes wandered over the matte black lamborghini which was parked up next to her. She felt her mouth drop to the floor as she looked at the angered expression of the actual car itself.

The ultramarine swung the door upwards and got out, "I'm sorry I took forever, I forget where I parked it."

"That's not your car." She said in disbelief.

"Of course it is." He argued, pulling out his car keys "I've got the keys to prove it."

"That's not your car." She repeated, still not convinced, "that is a lamborghini aventador, which cost a for-."

"We haven't got time to talk about that." He interrupted, pushing her towards his car, "come on."

Erza got in and looked around the interior. Jellal got into the drivers seat and revved the engine. She felt a strange sensation stirring up in her stomach as she listened to the growl of the engine.

He shifted gears and put his foot down on the gas pedal. Lieutenant felt her stomach turned inside out and yelped in surprise as he took off instantly. Swiftly, he shifted the gears again and leaned back in his chair. The scarlet haired woman blushed at how amazing he looked behind the wheel and when he's concentrating on the road. But, the seriousness in his eyes scared her.

Something was definitely wrong.

* * *

They entered the building and Erza was surprised at how big the place is. "Welcome to the Tower Of Heaven headquarters." Jellal murmured.

"Altair!" A raven haired woman greeted, "what are you doing here?"

"Haven't got time to explain, Ul." He replied, "But it's nice to see you."

"It's nice to see you too, Jelly!" Ultear called.

"Who was that?" Erza asked, trying her best not to sound jealous "is she your girlfriend?"

"No, she's my boss."

"Who's Altar?"

"That's my nickname they call me." He spoke, showing her a star tattoo on his left forearm while power-walking to his office, "Altair is the twelfth brightest star in the night sky. They named me after it because it lies in the constellation 'Aquila' which means eagle. An eagle symbolizes courage, perspicacity, immortality and strength."

"It really suits you." She panted, trying to keep up with him, "is there a possibility that you'll slow down?"

He stopped abruptly, causing her to walk into him. Before she could hit the ground, the ultramarine caught her and pulled her up, "Erza." He whispered.

"Yeah?" She asked, flustered at their position.

"We're here." He murmured, looking around, "let me just look for my friend."

"Sir, you made it." Erik addressed, "you came faster than I expected."

Jellal fixed the sleeves of his jacket, "I know." He said formally, opening the door to his office. His heart stopped momentarily as he looked at the mass devastation someone caused in his office. His chair was thrown into the shelves and there was paperwork and glass scattered everywhere on the floor.

"Oh my god." Erza gasped.

"Did you check the registrations?"

"Yes sir, we did." Erik answered, "But, I don't think it's correct. It said that you were here last night."

"That can't be." He disagreed, "I was working overtime last night and fell asleep in my office."

"Some must've taken your identity card," The maroon haired man said, "and snuck into your office to get something."

"But there's nothing-" Jellal paused. He took out his phone and dialed a number. "Gray, is there anyone in my office?"

"Yeah. Me, Lucy, Natsu and Juvia are partying in your office." Gray replied, "why?"

"Don't let anyone else in."

"Uh, sure." The inspector answered, "where did you go? And where's Er-"

The bluenette declined the call and closed his eyes, "the killer took my identity card to get into my office and look for the evidence." He explained, "They realized that whatever they're searching for isn't in this office, so they made me leave my office in Fairy Tail so they could get into it and take the evidence there."

Lieutenant stood, galvanized by his amazing intellect and mastery.

"But, there's something else." Erik carried on, holding out a piece of paper, "take a look at this."

The blue haired agent took the paper and studied at it. He gasped and his eyes widened. Erza saw so much terror and fear enter his eyes. "No... It can't be." He whispered, looking at his friend, "HOW?!"

"I don't know Sir." He replied, "I don't know."

Erza looked at them, confused. "What's wrong?"

The bluenette could feel his pulse beating in his ears, blocking out all other sound except his breath moving in and out of his mouth at irregular intervals. He was no longer able to control his shaking hands as the color drained from his face. "It can't be... One of the killers is like me."

"You don't make any sense." Erza grumbled.

"Are you sure it's not them both?" Erik questioned.

"I'm affirmative."

* * *

"Erza, Lucy told me what Simon did to you." Gray spoke, leaning against the wall, "why didn't you tell us?"

"It's more complicated than that."

He grabbed her arms and looked at her, "I can't bear to think about how he treats you." He growled, "I care for you, Erza."

She lifted her hand and cupped his cheek, "I know you do, Gray." She mumbled, "I can handle this on my own, okay?"

"Erza…" he murmured, caressing her cheek, "if you ever need my help, I'll be there."

"Thank you." Lieutenant smiled, turning to Jellal's office, "I wonder what's wrong with him."

"He hasn't come out his office since you got back yesterday."

"Really?" She asked in disbelief, "I'm gonna see if he's alright."

"Wait." He called, "he won't allow anyone in his office."

"I'm in charge." She justified, "he hasn't got the right to say that."

* * *

The scarlet haired Lieutenant walked into his office to find him staring at an image. "Jellal?"

"Didn't I specifically say; no one's allowed in my office?"

"Yeah," she said, watching him sink into his chair, "don't you remember that I'm in charge around here? Why are you isolating yourself?"

Jellal pinched the bridge of his nose as she came and sat opposite him, "because I know things I'm not supposed to tell you." He admitted, "this is between me and-"

"And who?"

"No one."

She grabbed his hand, "Jellal, you can trust me." She whispered, "Something freaked you out yesterday and I want to know what it was."

The ultramarine shook his head unable to keep the secret from the woman he trusted most in his life, "listen to me Erza." He ordered, moving his face closer, "don't tell anyone else."

"Okay."

"I and the killers are playing a game. They're giving me clues. But, each clue comes at a price." He explained, gripping her hands tighter, "this stays between you and me."

"Understood." She whispered, "What about yesterday?"

The bluenette sighed, "784."

"What?"

He pulled out a photo of a group of people, "the year X784. The most painful year of my life."

She studied the image and looked at him, "you were in the army of Fiore?"

"Yes..." he murmured, "I was the sergeant major and joined the army when I was 17 in the year X779. Since I have nothing better to do with my life."

"What happened?"

"When I was twenty three, I and my squadrons were scouting a building somewhere in Crocus." He started, "we never realized that there was a bomb in the building."

Erza gasped, "oh gosh…"

"When the bomb exploded, the building collapsed beneath our feet." He carried on, "but, some of my men were at the bottom and were instantly killed when it went off. I broke my collarbone, hip and arm. Several of my ribs were fractured as well."

"Jellal…"

"I remember, watching my friend take his final breath in my arms…" he trailed off, "when evac finally came, I was at the brink of death. I will never forget that day... Now, I know that one of the killers were one of the men involved in that accident."

The scarlet haired woman looked at him, "you've been through so much, Jelly…" she choked, "you didn't deserve that..."

"I was just at the wrong place at the wrong time..."

"You're so brave, Altair." She mumbled, "My admiration for you just rocketed sky high."

He smiled at the use of his nickname, "the funny thing is, I'm always at the wrong place at the wrong time." He chuckled, "like Levy…"

"Levy?" Erza asked, "what about her?"

"She was my sister,"

* * *

**0.o hope this was worth the wait :)**

**Don't worry. I plan on putting more Jerza in it.**

**I'll see y'all soon!**


	5. Chapter 5

Hey** everyone! Now, **I'm** sorry but 'the princess and the assassin' is going on a **mini-hiatus** because **I'm** still thinking of a decent ending for it and this story has my full attention to it because well... I'm really into the detective and forensics **stuff** and... because things are gonna start getting interesting and that.**

**I'm glad you guys reviewed, Favorited and followed. It makes me very happy!**

**Enough of my talking, here's the next chapter.**

**Chapter 5: A dance to remember**

* * *

"She was my sister."

Lieutenant's eyes widened, "Really?!" She asked, shocked, "Levy never spoke of having a brother."

"It's because I ran away from home at eleven." He explained, "when I did, it broke her heart…"

"Why did you leave?" She glared at him, "you didn't just leave her. You left me as well."

"Because I-"

Suddenly, Gray walked into the office, forcing Jellal to stop. "Erza! Guess what?!"

"Jellal was just about to explain something!" She growled, "why do you keep interrupting people?"

The inspector threw up his hands in defense, "Oh. Sorry," he bowed his head, "you can carry on."

"Don't worry about it." He shook his head, "it can wait."

"But Jellal!" Lieutenant scowled, "I want to know!"

The blue haired man smirked and turned to Gray, "What's up?"

"Lyon has been invited to the President Toma's daughter's ball tonight!" He smiled, "he said that I'm able to invite 5 friends with me."

"That's great!" Erza stood up, "who are you inviting?"

"I invited Natsu, Lucy, Juvia and, I was wondering if you'd like to come too?"

The scarlet haired woman squealed with excitement and jumped on the raven haired inspector, "I'd love to!"

"Awesome!" Gray turned to Jellal, "you coming, buddy?"

The bluenette pursed his lips together, "I'm afraid not." He took out his phone, "The TOH has requested me to do a job."

"Come on, Jellal." She released Gray's neck, "just this once, try and relax."

"She's right, Jellal." Gray joined in, "you can't overwork yourself. It's not good for you."

"I appreciate your concerns." He looked at the two, "but, duty calls and you guys have to start preparing for the ball."

Erza turned to the inspector, "you give such late notices…"

"I'm sorry…" he murmured, "but, you don't really have to prepare much, you're beautiful already."

Lieutenant blushed, "uhh…. Thanks." She turned to Jellal, who was staring at a photo, "please Jellal. Come with us."

"I'm sorry, young scarlet. As much as I wanted to, I can't." He pushed the two out his office, "now, you guys better go now. Don't want to be late."

"Jellal!"

"I'll see you guys soon." He said, turning back into his office, "Gray, tell your girlfriend I said Hi."

"How do you know I have a girlfriend?" He narrowed his eyes, "are you psychic?"

"I might be." He stopped and waved, "have fun."

The two watched him head back inside and closed the office door. "He works too hard. Doesn't he?" She asked.

"Come on, I'll take home." Gray took hold of her hand, "let's get Natsu, Lucy, and Juvia. I already asked Chief about it and he said yes."

"Who's the fifth person you're bringing?" Erza gripped his hand, "please tell me Simon's not coming."

"Why would I invite him?" Gray asked, "I hate him as much as you."

"Good…"

"I'll just have to bring 4 guests with me."

The bluenette watched as the group left. He smiled and pressed his phone to his ear, "Ultear, I'm taking Racer's place." He murmured, "I'll guard the president's daughter."

* * *

Jellal stepped out his shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. He looked at himself in the mirror and applied a layer of foam on the lower part of his face. He picked up a razor and began shaving the stubble from his cheeks.

After, he bluenette head into his room, took out a large briefcase from under his bed, opened it, pulled out a bulletproof vest and secured around his upper body. He went to his cabinet and found a slim-fitted black suit.

He fixed the golden sleeve cuffs and tied a tie around his neck before fixing his collar. The blue haired agent buttoned up his black waistcoat and attached a pocket watch to it. He went back to the briefcase, took out two handguns and spun them around his fingers before slipping them into the holsters at the back of his belt. Jellal grabbed another two pistols and tucked it into two more holsters at the front.

The ultramarine slid a swiss army knife into a pouch on his left side and attached several magazines to his right. He put his tailored jacket on, smoothed the lapels and added two micro sub-machine guns inside it. He hooked a custom molded surveillance earpiece to his ear and plugged it into his walkie-talkie.

After preparing, he admired himself in the mirror and made a phone call. "Ultear." He began, "I'm on my way. And, make sure you order some pizza. Stuffed crust and pepperoni ."

"Already on it." She replied, "I'll see you in a bit."

Jellal put down his phone and looked at the most recent text from the killers.

'_Have fun at the ball, Fernandes. I'll see you there.'_

* * *

Erza stared out the window of the limousine. Everyone around her was excited about the upcoming ball. But lieutenant sat in silence, playing with her black dress and thinking about the blue haired agent.

She remembered the song he always sang to her whenever she felt troubled. Every time he did, he would always bring her head down to his chest, letting her listen to his calm heartbeats. She recalled the day she waited at the riverside and Jellal never came from over the hills. She waited, but in the end of the day, he never arrived. She was alone and she missed him.

"We're here!" Lucy squealed, pointing at the cathedral filled with bright lights.

"Ugh… I think I'm gonna hurl…" Natsu groaned.

Erza looked at it and sighed. 'If only Jellal came..'

They entered the huge hall, Lucy and Natsu disappeared to go talk to other people. While Gray and Juvia went to go talk to Lyon. Erza stood, not knowing what to do.

She walked around and saw a mini buffet table filled with cakes. Her eyes lit up with happiness and she took several plates full. She shoved them in her mouth and looked around for the president's daughter; Hisui.

Her eyes landed on a green haired girl standing at the balcony and then to the two muscular men standing either side of her. One of them was wearing a gray suit and had marron hair. But the other person caught her her attention.

He had bright blue hair and was wearing a black suit slim-fit with a matching waistcoat and a silver tie. His hands were tucked into his trouser pockets and a pair of sunglasses covered his eyes. Lieutenant swore she could see something red on the right side of his cheek behind his shades. Her eyes widened with realization and her mouth dropped slightly.

"Jellal?"

* * *

The ultramarine looked around the large hall, hoping to catch a glimpse of the scarlet haired lieutenant. "Jellal, the perimeter has been secured," Ultear spoke through his earpiece.

"Roger." He responded, scanning the area for any suspicious behaviour.

Hisui smiled at him, "Jellal, can we dance?"

Jellal turned to face her, "now?"

"Yeah."

"Like, right now?"

"Just do it, Altair." Erik chuckled, "unless, you can't dance."

"Shut up, Cobra." The bluenette narrowed his eyes behind his sunglasses, "watch the expert." He murmured, taking hold of Hisui's hand and bringing her down to the dance floor.

"Your father won't mind if I dance with you, will he?" He twirled her around and placed his hand on her waist, "I just want to make sure."

"He doesn't really mind to be honest." She replied, placing a hand on his shoulder. After a few minutes Hisui chuckled, "you're good."

"Thanks," he spun her around and pulled her towards him again, "you're not bad yourself."

"You really need to get yourself a girl." She chuckled.

He blushed slightly and was just about to say something when he felt someone tap his shoulder. He paused and turned around, "President Toma." He bowed.

"Jellal," he quirked a brow, "mind if I dance with my daughter?"

"Sure." The ultramarine handed her to him and gave her a smile before walking into the crowd of people.

* * *

Erza frowned and watched the other danced while she scoffed more cake into her mouth. Once she was finished, she walked around and looked around for the blue haired man she saw earlier. She didn't realize someone walked up behind her. But then, sensed him as he got closer.

She felt his arms wrapped around her, pulling her into the warmth of his body and spun her around. She opened her eyes and looked at him. Her heart made a few beats of delight as she saw his azure hair and a mere fraction of his red tattoo behind his dark shades.

"Jellal?" She whispered out loud, staring at him in utter disbelief, "is that you?"

"Of course it's me." His smile was mesmerizing, so was his aftershave, and his hand came up slowly to grasp her own. He raised it and he spread his fingers. Entwining them into hers. He moved his other hand down and extended his arm to encircle her back, "I love your dress. It looks good on you."

She felt her face warm up slightly, feeling his palm pressed softly on her bare back, "thank you." She murmured, unable to look away from such a handsome face. Spontaneously, her free hand lifted to his face and removed his specs, "I never thought you were coming."

Jellal tilted his head to the side, his hazel eyes boring away at her, "what makes you think that?"

"I don't know…" she explored the lapels of his jacket, feeling something hard beneath his shirt, before moving up his shoulder and around his neck, "you said you weren't coming."

"I did?" He held her against him, firmly in place. His feet began to move slowly and hers followed awkwardly.

"Jellal," she averted her gaze from him and cleared her throat, "I can't dance..."

"Nonsense," he chuckled, gripping her hips tighter, "it's because you think too much, young scarlet. Move with me and feel, don't think. Focus, on me."

She took in a hasty breath and looked at him. He's gaze was so soft and tender that she was immediately hypnotized by it. As they moved, she realized something. The way he held her made her think about Simon. He never held her like this. She closed her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder, feeling safe in his powerful arms.

"You are a natural." She heard his deep voice uttered softly.

Inhaling deeply, she took in his amazing scent, and smiled to herself. Jellal hummed out a breath and placed his cheek on her head.

_"Lay down your head_

_You're not alone_

_Anywhere you go, I follow_

_We are the children of the sun_

_That's all you need to know…"_

Lieutenant pulled her head back and looked at him, "you remember?"

"Of course I do." He moved his face closer, "how could I forget this song? It always reminded me of you, young scarlet. And, how could I forget you? You were always lingering in my head."

"Jellal…" She bit her lip, surpassing the urge to cry. After 16 years of separation, she never thought he would remember that song he always sang to comfort her. She moved her face closer his to, feeling his breath fan her lips.

The bluenette closed his eyes and could just about feel her lips caressing his own.

"Jellal." Ultear spoke through the earpiece.

He pulled his head back and looked around the hall. Erza was still in his grip and breathing heavily after what he just did. "Jellal," she panted, "What's up?"

"There's something wrong." He looked back and released her, "I can sense it."

"What?"

"Ultear," he spoke, "can you hear me?"

"Jellal, Brain has just found a body of a young man at the back of the cathedral you're in." Ultear explained, "he's just taken the vic's temperature and it's 96.6 degrees Fahrenheit."

He closed his eyes and mumbled a couple of numbers, "our victim's been dead for a maximum of three minutes."

"And, the only way out of that place is to go in through the hall and it through the exit."

"Which means the killers are still here..." he paused, "we need to evacuate the people."

"What if we lose the killer?"

"Tell Cobra to search the people as they leave."

"Alright,"

Erza raised a brow, "what are you-"

The ultramarine climbed up the table and looked around, "Everyone, I want you all to stop what you're doing!"

Everyone in the hall stopped and looked at him. Gray, Lucy, Natsu and Juvia looked at each other. "What's going on?"

"I'm Agent Fernandes of the TOH secret services. Fiore intelligence." He took out a new identity card, "you may not know. But, a murder took place just a few minutes ago."

Screams began erupting in the ballroom and everyone charged out the exit, but was stopped by several security guards.

"Don't panic!" Jellal screamed, "my men will lead you ALL out in a fast and safe manner. However, each one of you will be searched upon departure." He jumped off the table and watched the large group of people beginning to leave the cathedral slowly.

"Jellal, do you want us to do anything?" Lucy asked, joining him, along with Natsu and the others.

The bluenette took out three pistols from his belt and two micro sub-machine guns from his jacket, "Erza and Juvia. You two get the fully automatic weapon." He turned to three remaining people, "you three, get the handguns."

"How on earth did manage to fit all these weapons in you?" Gray asked, slipping a magazine into his firearm, "that's amazing."

"Aren't they heavy?" Lucy asked.

"Not if you served the army for 6 years and carried things more than three times your body weight." He grabbed another gun from his belt, "okay, here's what I want you guys to do. Gray and Erza, You're on me. Natsu, I want you to secure the North Gate." He turned to the blue haired detective, "Juvia, you and my boss will secure the South Gate."

"What about me?" The blonde asked.

"I want you and my pink haired friend, standing next to the fountain over there, to start processing the evidence." He looked at the group, "is everyone clear on what they're doing?"

They nodded and followed his orders. Gray and Erza went off together and looked around the ginormous hall. From the corner of his eye, Jellal saw a hooded figure pull out a pistol. He pointed it upwards at Gray and Erza. As if it was instinct, the ultramarine charged at the two. Before he could tackle them to the ground, he heard the gunshot and felt a sharp pain on his chest.

"Jellal!" Erza cried.

He dived on the two officers and pushed them down on to the ground, "stay down." He growled, standing up and glaring at the shooter, "shoot me again."

Before the attacker could pull the trigger again. Jellal took a quick step forwards and grabbed his hand with the gun in it. He yanked the gun out his hand, but the man slammed his elbow into Jellal's face, forcing him to release him.

Erza watched with fear as the attacker threw several punches to the blue haired man's face. She was just about to intercept when she felt someone place a hand on her shoulder. It was the maroon haired man Jellal was standing with earlier; Erik. "Don't. It's his fight." He grumbled.

The bluenette grasped his bleeding nose and lips. He felt a cut open up on his forehead and looked down at white shirt, stained red with his own blood. "You ruined my new shirt."

The attacker threw a punch at Jellal, who dodged it with ease. He retaliated with a kick to his stomach which sent the attacker back.

Gray smirked, admiring his fighting skill, "he's good." He turned to Erza, "now, I can see why the TOH made him the best in the agency."

Jellal launched himself at him and slammed his fist into his stomach. The attacker lurched forward, giving Jellal the opportunity to land a blow to his covered face. Just as he was about hit the ground, the bluenette grabbed him and pulled him back up.

He removed his mask and stared at him. He dropped the man and took a step back, shaking his head in disbelief, "Sho?"

"Good to see you again, Jellal."

* * *

"How are you feeling, Jellal?" Juvia asked, watching Erza press a tissue to his bloody nose and bruised lips.

"Never better." He murmured, winced and seized Erza's hand.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. He let her hand go and she cleaned the cut on his forehead, "I'll be gentle."

Jellal nodded and watched Gray, as he arrested Sho, "another job well done." Ultear joined them and held out an ice pack "who was he?"

The ultramarine removed his shirt, "he was one of the friends I made, when I was in the army." He removed his bulletproof vest, leaving his top half bare.

Erza's eyes roamed his broad, wide shoulders, moving down to his well-built and firm chest, with his dog-tags sticking to his damp, tanned skin. Her gaze followed the dips between his defined abs and then down to his v-line, which continued downwards into his pants. She gulped and found herself drooling as she stared at his hard, lean and muscular body.

Ultear pressed the ice pack on the large bruise on his chest. He jolted slightly and grunted softly. "Why would Sho do this?" She asked.

He held the pack and looked at the two men approaching them, "unlike me, Sho suffered an emotional breakdown because of what happened in Crocus." He sighed, "I just never thought he would go this far and attempt to kill me..."

Erza placed a hand over his and squeezed it, "I'm sorry, Jellal."

"Lucy," Jellal turned to the blonde, "did you find anything?"

"I found a large bag in the dumpster." She explained, "it was too heavy to carry, so I got Laxus to pick it up for me."

"Anything else?"

"The victim's name is Toby and the COD is a gunshot wound to the head."

Gray looked at the three, " Sho's being sent back to the department." He murmured, "there, Juvia will interrogate him."

"No," Jellal spoke quickly, "I'll interrogate him."

Juvia quirked a brow, "why's that?"

"He won't speak to anyone else but me."

"He might be one of the killers!" Natsu screamed.

Erza looked at the agent who shook his head, "he's not the type. Though, he probably working with them." He gently pushed her hand away and pulled a black shirt over his head, "The killers sent him to cause disruption here, so that they'll be able to get away with killing Toby."

"You're trying to say that we've been tricked again?"

"Aye." The agent frowned, "they must've got away when we evacuated the people and was too busy paying attention to Sho."

Lucy looked up at him, "they're smart."

"But not smart enough." He took hold of the dog-tags dangling from his neck, "conflict can screw up a person's mind so easily."

"You're telling me…" Gray mumbled, standing next to Juvia.

"Jellal, how is it possible that all the guesses you make turn out to be correct?" Erza asked, watching a smirk cross his face.

"Well, young scarlet. In order to catch a killer," He gripped the two, brushed aluminium steel ovals in his hand, "you must think like one."

* * *

**I've change the rating to an M because things are gonna start getting a little bit... you know.**

**The song Jellal sang was the chorus of 'children of the sun' by Tinie Tempah, ft John Martin.**

**That's me done for the day. I'm gonna go sleep now.**

**I'll see you all soon!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: To what ends?**

* * *

_May 11 X773. He ran away from home at the age of 11._

_July 1 X779. He joined the army at 17._

_February 3 X781. He was MIA at 19._

_August 19 X783. He was finally found, roaming around a forest at 21._

_June 5 X784. He was involved in an accident and watched his closest friends die before him at 22._

_October 23 X785. He left the army and joined the TOH, Fiore intelligence at 23._

_January 31 X786. He was MIA again, because his plane crashed and needed to survive on his own for several months at 24._

_December 25 X787. He was meant to spend Christmas with his sister. But found her and her husband dead at 25..._

Jellal opened his eyes and looked out at the city of Magnolia, stretched before him. There was so many untimely questions floating around in his head, and a knot of mystery, hoping to unravel soon. He saw it faultlessly. It was inevitable. Just for a brief moment, there was precision, and he knew exactly what the killers are planning. He could see how they're using his memory to manipulate him. How they exploited his weaknesses and played with his strength. Why sometimes, he would be correct or incredibly wrong.

He stared at the reflection of himself. Another sleepless night, wondering what the killers motives are. His fists clenched inside his pockets.

He's still out there, and there's another one as well.

"Jellal?" The voices of two females spoke in unison.

"Erza and Lucy," he carried on staring at his reflection, "you're back."

"Yes, we are," Erza moved slightly closer to him, "How did the interrogation go?"

"Sho's not the killer." He murmured, "that's all we need to know. We can't focus on him for too long. We'll give the killers a head start."

"Jellal, I was wondering," the scarlet haired woman played with her skirt, "do you want to come and have dinner with us? Please don't tell me you're busy."

Her sudden question made him turn to face her, "I'm sorry, Erza…" he bowed his head guiltily, "I… I'm staying tonight."

Lucy sighed, "come on, Jellal. Chief's letting us leave work early."

"You guys can go. I'm leaving department at eleven."

"Jellal, last time you stayed, " Erza reminded, "you fell asleep in your office."

He nodded slowly and crossed his arms, "I lost track of time." He smirked, "besides, my house is an hour drive from here."

"Why do you live so far away?" Lucy asked.

"I don't know." He turned to Laxus, who was at the door, "have you got it?"

"If you're talking about the pizza, no." The blonde pulled out a large bag, "however, I've got this. Lucy found it in the dump yesterday. It hasn't been opened yet."

"Thanks," he took the bag, "oh, and can you check if I ordered one? I swore I did..."

The ultramarine turned back into his office and placed the bag on his desk, "as I was saying, young scarlet. I can't go because I'm working overtime again and I'm really, really busy."

Lucy nudged Erza, "young scarlet, eh?" She teased.

"Shut up..." Lieutenant growled, watching Jellal take out several pieces of metal. All different shapes and sizes, "what is that?"

Gray and Natsu entered the office, "Jellal, I have some-" Gray paused, looking at the stuff on his desk, "what are those things?"

"It looks like a gun." Natsu looked at it closely, "a really big one..."

"That's exactly what it is." Jellal flipped the bag upside down, emptying all its contents, "A sniper rifle."

"Sniper rifle?" Erza murmured, "how do you know?"

"Because, there's a telescopic sight, and a stock for helping the shooter get a better shot, while in a prone position." He explained, "have you never seen one before?"

"I have. On the Internet." Natsu looked at it closely, "it doesn't looked anything like."

"That's because you have to build it." The agent took the biggest piece, "when I was 18, we had to learn how to put one together. If we didn't, we don't get dinner."

"That's a little harsh, isn't it?" Gray asked.

"Not really. Putting together a sniper rifle is easy."

"It doesn't look easy…" Lucy mumbled.

"First, you start with the upper receiver assembly, which is the largest part," he grabbed another piece and snapped it into place, "next, you add the bolt and carrier assembly, which is the actual mechanism that shoots the bullet."

"Sounds complicated..." Gray ran his fingers in his raven hair, "Lucy couldn't find any hair, or any DNA from the killer, wh-"

"Let me guess." Jellal paused, attaching the barrel and then the muzzle break, "it would mean that the victim was assassinated."

"Yup." Gray looked at the rifle, " that looks so cool."

The ultramarine chuckled and fastened the final piece onto it, "trust me, Fullbuster. This gun is pretty amazing."

Jellal stopped and stared at the gun for a moment. Erza noticed his sudden hiatus, "is there something wrong?"

"Yeah.…" he murmured, "this is an L115A3. The most common sniper used in the army."

"Which means?"

"My theory was right." He hefted the large rifle, "one of the killers were in the army."

"But, why would the killer suddenly use a long range weapon?" Gray asked, "how would we know if this is the murder weapon?"

"The bullet that Juvia extracted from Toby was a 8.59mm." Natsu held a large bullet in his hand.

"That's what the L115A3 uses." The ultramarine cocked the rifle, "it's much more heavier than a 7.62mm round."

Erza stared at the vein surfacing on Jellal's throat and watched his adam's bob up and down as he spoke, "so, we have our murder weapon."

"Next question is: Why did the killers suddenly use a long range weapon?" Natsu asked.

"I was just about to move on to that." He placed the rifle on the floor and walked over to the images on the wall, "we know that one of the killers is ruthless and does all the dirty work. While the other one is submissive."

"What does that have to do with this?"

"Well, I'm guessing that ruthless killer is the one that shoots his victims up close and personal. " He explained, "the submissive killer uses a longer ranged weapon so he wouldn't have to be anywhere near the victim. He's afraid of killing."

"But, so many people in the army uses a sniper rifle."

"Clearly not." The bluenette pulled out a licence, "only those who have this license are allowed to use a rifle, because it's so dangerous. Only eight people have these."

"Who were they?"

"Me, Jiemma, Kageyama, Erigor, Macbeth, Jura, Ichiya and Jose." He shoved his hands in his pockets, "however, Erigor was killed in the year X782 and Macbeth was slaughtered by the same killers who killed Bisca…"

"So that leaves us with the six of them." Natsu grumbled.

"Not exactly..." Jellal took out a bag filled with navy-blue powder, "I found a component of hydrated copper carbonate, A.K.A, Azurite. Only four out of eight of us used azurite to color their gun."

"Why would they use azurite?"

"It's a natural pigment that can be painted onto a gun for camouflage." He gave the bag to Lucy, "Jose, Jiemma, Ichiya and I all used azurite."

Natsu looked down at his watch, "is it that time already?" He asked, "Jellal, I'm sorry, but we have to go."

Jellal smiled, "no need to be sorry, Natsu." He said, watching the couple leave, "I bid thee good night."

The pinkette saluted him, "I'll see you tomorrow, Jellal." He turned to Gray, "Let's go."

Gray looked up at the clock, "I've got to get Juvia, otherwise she'll will kill me." He murmured, "you want me to drop you home, Erza?"

"No, I'm staying." She embraced the inspector, "see you tomorrow."

The bluenette rolled his eyes and looked outside. The sun was sinking below the buildings, creating an array of different colors. "Some game were playing, huh?" He asked himself.

"Pardon?" Lieutenant asked.

"Nothing…" he turned to face her. She was standing alone, "I thought you were going with them?"

She blushed, "I couldn't leave you on your own. You could fall asleep in your office again"

He chuckled softly and sat in his chair, "I might. I'm actually not that tired." He glanced at the rifle, "I wonder why they didn't take the rifle with them?"

"It was probably too heavy."

"I doubt that. It only weighs 6.5 kilograms." He kicked his feet up on the desk and gestured to her, "don't just stand there, come sit."

The scarlet haired woman obeyed him, "do you have any guesses on who the killers are?"

The ultramarine was just about to answer when someone walked into his office. His head turned to the door and he instantly clenched his teeth in disgust, "you're not allowed in my office, Simon." He spat.

Simon threw his hands up, "I'm here to get Erza. I need to speak with her."

Jellal turned to Erza, who had an unsure look on her face. She bit her lips and stood up, "alright let's go..."

* * *

"Why are you working overtime again?" Simon asked, "I thought we had an agreement."

"I'm sorry, but your rules don't apply to me anymore." She said blankly, "I choose what I want to do."

"Don't speak to me like that!" He hissed, "A wife should always treat her husband with respect!"

"You're not my husband!" She glared at him, "you'll never be my husband."

"What was that?!" The brunette asked, "say that again."

"You're not my-" before she could finish her sentence, Simon slapped her hard in the face. The crack of skin contacting skin echoed off the walls. The impact forced her head to whip to the side and tears steamed down her cheeks as a sharp pain rippled across her face.

"That's what I thought."

She lifted her head, a large red, throbbing patch on her face. Her eyes were filled with tears of anger and sadness, "fuck you..." she whispered, "you monster."

"Shut up." He forcefully grabbed her wrist, "Let's go home now."

"NO!" she screamed, attempting to break free from him. Her strength was nothing compared with his, "let me go! I don't want to go with you!"

"Be quiet." He growled, dragging her towards the exit, "we're going and that's final."

"LET ME GO!" She yelled, feeling his grip tighten around her already bruised wrist. She cried out in pain and struggled harder. All hope was lost until she saw a flash of blue.

_It was Jellal._

He forcefully slammed into Simon, making him release Erza and crash into the wall, "leave her be." He snarled.

"Jellal…" Erza squeaked. Her legs gave out and she collapsed on him, crying uncontrollably on his chest.

"What sickening man would treat his Fiancée like this?" The ultramarine asked, watching Simon slowly rise, "how dare you treat Erza like this!"

"You better shut your mouth, Fernandes." Simon clenched his fist, "keep your nose out of other people's businesses."

"Make me." He held Erza in his arms, "come on, let's go back into my office."

"Okay…" she clutched his shirt tight, not wanting to let go of him.

"And then you're gonna leave her, like what you did to Levy." He smirked, "it's your fault she's dead. You weren't able to protect her."

Jellal gasped and stopped. Lieutenant felt his muscles tensed and his temperature rose significantly. His blue bangs covered his eyes and his breathing quickened.

He turned around, his body fueled with fury and rage. His blood boiled in his veins and teeth clenched with anger, "what?!" He bellowed, "what did you say?!"

Erza held him, trying to stop him from lashing out, "Jellal, calm down."

But didn't work. He broke free from her and launched himself at the brunette. Simon froze on the spot, watching him throw an incredible punch towards his face, that instantly knocked him off his feet. He groaned in pain and spewed out some blood.

She pulled him back, "Jellal, please stop!" She begged, burying her face into his chest, "please!"

He walked back slightly, breathing heavily, with Erza still latched onto his chest, "serves you right." He mumbled, wrapping an arm around the scarlet haired woman, "if I see you anywhere near her, I'll make sure you NEVER see the light of day."

Simon watched the two leave, "you'll regret this, Fernandes."

* * *

"Here." Jellal spoke softly, placing some ice on her wrist, "this will ease the pain."

Lieutenant nodded and held it on her wrist, "thank you..." she whispered, still slightly shaken at what just happened.

"Erza," he cupped her cheek, "why didn't you tell me he's been mistreating you?"

"I was afraid..." she turned her gaze from his, "I didn't want to bother anyone."

"But this is your safety we're talking about, young scarlet." He mumbled, "he could've done something to you and I would never know."

Tears escaped her eyes as she remembered how many times Simon has abused her. Both mentally and physically. "I'm petrified." She sobbed, "I don't even know the reason why my parents forced me to marry him..."

"Your parents forced you to marry that freak?"

She nodded her head and cried harder, "I don't know what to do…" she looked at him, eyes red and swollen, "I'm lost, Jellal..."

He quickly pulled her into his arms, embracing her tight, "no need to cry." He kissed the top of her head, "I'm right here."

"It's so hard." She murmured into his chest, "I'm engaged to a man I hate. Yet, I'm in love with another person."

"There's a simple solution to that problem, Erza." He pulled his head back and smiled, "go with the person you love. Don't spend your life with a person you hate."

His smile was contagious and she couldn't help but smile back, "that sounds like a good idea."

The ultramarine slowly released her. He really wanted to ask her about who she's in love with, but he knows that he can't get involved in other people's personal lives. Especially Erza's. He took out some tissues from the drawers and wiped away the remaining tears from her face, "you okay now?"

"Yes," she looked at the small cut in his knuckles, formed with he threw a punch at Simon, "what do I do now? I don't really want to go home…"

He swung his tailored jacket around his shoulders and picked up his car keys, "come home with me." He took his black cloak, "I have a spare room back at my place."

Erza felt a blush creep up on her face, "no," she turned her face, "I don't want to be a burden to anyone."

"You're not," he wrapped his cloak around her shoulders and she looked up at him, "I'm not giving you a choice. You're not going back with Simon."

"But-"

"No buts, young scarlet." He murmured, guiding her to the door, "I'm bringing you back home with me."

* * *

Erik looked at the TOH headquarters in the distance as he left the shop. The Caelum state of Fiore was alive, with every car radio turned to its maximum. Every now and then, he would hear sirens in the distance and several police cars raced past him.

Another breezy, tense Sunday night.

He took out a cigarette and lit it up, inhaling the smoke and then, his lungs tightened slightly. He closed his eyes and felt the pain in his heart slowly drifting away.

Quickly, the maroon haired man took off down the road. The streetlights flickered, casting an eerie glow across the streets of darkness. The pavement was chipped and filled with fissures and seemed to quiver whenever the chilling breeze would pass by.

There weren't many houses bordering the street, but the ones that did were shredded apart and deserted, with black graffiti sprayed around them, and smashed windows that seemed to inhabit the souls of the dead.

Although the streetlights were plentiful, the glow these lights gave off was dim and almost supernatural, flashing at the slightest hint of wind, and barely managing to keep themselves alive. He plunged his hands into his pockets and ignored the paranormal activities that happened around him.

He felt the atmosphere suddenly stiffened. Before he could react, two people tackled him and held him down to the ground, "Erik, pleasure it is to see you."

"Let me Go!" Erik screamed, "who the hell do you think you are?!"

"I wonder..." the killer smirked, "who else knows about Fernandes and his little game?"

"I'd rather die than tell you!" The agent roared, straining against their grip, "Jellal is like a brother to me! There's no way I'm revealing classified information!"

One of the killers turned to his companion, "give the guy what he wants."

"But-"

"No buts!" He yelled, pushing the gun into his partners hand, "you know what you signed up for."

His associate took the gun and gently pressed it to Erik's head. The maroon haired man struggled to turn around and face him, unable to look at their faces, "forgive me, Cobra."

Erik looked up at him._ 'Why's he crying?'_ He asked himself.

"Dammit! I can't do it!" The killer retreated his arm from his head, "I can't..."

The other man grabbed the gun and pushed it roughly on the maroon haired man's head, "farewell, Erik."

* * *

"Welcome to my house." Jellal said, opening the door.

Erza gasped at how big it was, the ceiling was rather high and the living room was very spacious. The light immediately turned on as the two stepped into the house. She peered over to the kitchen and then to the stairway that led upstairs.

"Are you just going to stand there all night?" He asked, smiling at her shocked expression, "or do you want me to take you to your room?"

Lieutenant blinked, coming out her shock. She looked at him standing on the first three steps, "uh… yeah." She followed him up.

Jellal opened the door to Erza's new room, "here's your room, young scarlet."

Erza looked around the large room. There was a large queen size bed in the center with several pieces of furniture neatly distributed around it. There was a door leading to the toilet and another going to a small wardrobe, "this place is amazing..."

The ultramarine smiled and scratched his head, "I'm glad you like it!" He watched her enter the room slowly, "if you need anything, my room is over there." He pointed at a door, which was painted blue, "good night, Erza."

"Wait…" She grabbed his hand and looked at him, "thank you."

"No need to thank me." He felt her release his hand, "now, get ready for bed, we have a long day."

As Erza watched him leave, she tried to utter the three words she's been trying to say to him for a while. But when he was out of sight, it finally flew out her mouth, "I love you."

The bluenette unbuttoned his shirt and walked into his room. He stretched and collapsed in his bed, not wanting to move a muscle. All of a sudden, his phone began ringing, "Ultear, do you realize what time it is?"

He heard gentle sniffing from his phone and sat up, "boss, is everything okay?"

"No..." she whispered, It's Erik..."

Without another word, Jellal jumped out his bed and ran out his room, "Erza!" He cried.

Erza poked her head out the door, and looked at him, "wha?" She asked, completely baffled at what was going on, "what's going on?"

"We need to go." He grabbed her hand and pulled her out her room, "no time to explain"

* * *

Jellal slammed his car door close and ran towards the group of police officers. Ultear turned around, her face red with tears, "Jellal, I'm sorry..."

His heart stopped at the sight of them pulling over a blanket over Erik's lifeless body. A sudden feeling of nausea overwhelmed him as he tried to contradict what was happening, "no..."

Many of the TOH agents were standing around them, mourning the death of yet another comrade. Erza stopped in her tracks and watched them from a distance. She watched Jellal turn away, tears falling from his handsome face.

"Erik." the ultramarine whispered. He gave out a cry of agony as he felt the tears gush down his face, "Now, they've just stepped across the line..."


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry for making you wait for such a long time. I was busy revising for a physics examination I had this morning and things were getting a little chaotic back at school. But, i managed to pull through and now, I give you the longest chapter I ever wrote! (At least, I think it is...)**

**I give you all the chapter you have been waiting for! I'm not going to say anything else, or I'll spoil it for you guys!**

**I hope you all enjoy it!**

**Chapter 7: Alone**

* * *

The scarlet haired lieutenant stood at the rooftop and stared into Jellal. His messy blue hair and his jacket fluttered in the gentle breeze. His back faced her, hiding his pained expression from the world. It's been two days since Erik's untimely murder and everyone in the TOH have been keeping a close eye on things.

She took a deep breath and slowly made her way to him, "Jellal," she stopped walking when he turned around, and her heart suddenly wrenched in her chest. His face was puffy from crying because he couldn't stop the tears for the last two days, and dark circles accumulated around his eyes from being sleep deprived.

His eyes widened, not realizing she was watching him all this time, and he immediately wiped the tears away from his face, "Erza." He said gruffly, composing himself, "uh, what are you doing?"

"I've come to see you." she stood beside him and smiled, "it's okay to cry every once in a while."

The ultramarine closed his eyes and sighed, "sometimes, the tears are hard to stop."

"I know, "she took hold of his hand and squeezed it gently, "maybe if we knew the relationship between you and Erik, we would know what the killers' motives are."

He pursed his lips together, "I already know what their motives are." he murmured, "This game we're playing... It isn't until all my friends are dead. It's until either one of us is dead. Once the ruthless killer is dead, the submissive one won't kill. He just follows orders."

"Jellal, if you don't want me here, I can leave." She turned away, sensing the tension between them "I think it'll be a better idea if I left."

"No," he grabbed her hand and pulled her back, "don't leave, please!" He cried, "stay with me…"

Lieutenant looked up at him, his eyes were clouded sadness and his smile was replaced with trembling lips. She held his face, "please, don't cry."

He lifted his hands and held them, "me and Erik." He began, "we were like brothers. Inseparable."

"How did you two first meet?"

Jellal looked up at the cloudy sky, "it all started in the year X781." He explained, "The special forces were patrolling a field up in the borderlands of Iceberg and Bellum. We were separated into five groups, each group having eight soldiers. I was in group Yankee, along with my other army folks."

"What happened?"

"Our team was betrayed by the other teams. They were working as double agents and they ambushed us, and we were taken to prison."

"that sounds horrid..."

"They wanted to know what the Fiorean army was planning. So, they tortured my friends in front of me, hoping I'd finally give in." The bluenette closed his eyes, "but I never did. So, they left me in a cell with the rotting carcasses of my comrades."

He stopped, feeling a weight on his chest. The ultramarine looked down at Erza, who rested her head on him. He smiled "comfortable, aren't we?"

Lieutenant chuckled, glad he's finally returning back to normal, "I'm sorry. I'm just slightly tired."

"Very well." He wrapped his arms around her, "In early autumn of the year X782, after spending a year in that wretched prison, I met Erik…"

* * *

_7 years before..._

"Get back in there, scum." The soldiers spat, throwing a young, blue-haired man into the cell. When he made contact with the cold, rough ground, he winced, feeling a cut open in his arm.

He glared up at the soldier, who walked away from his prison cell. The young man looked down at himself. His combat pants have been torn and coated in dried blood and dirt. His white vest has turned black, due to a number of times he's been thrown onto the floor. He remembered what had happened to his shirt. He used it as a bandage to help a fellow comrade, who, unfortunately, died because of blood poisoning.

He and his men were betrayed by the others. Used and then, waited to be slaughtered, just like pigs. But the sergeant major won't go down that easily. Despite losing many men, he still had the determination to live on.

_He still had the light others did not._

A chilling breeze seeped in through the cracks of the wall. But the young, blue-haired man didn't shiver nor did he seek warmth. He was too used to the cold and is no longer a stranger to it.

"Here." The soldier returned with a piece of stale bread and a cup of dirty water. He placed it in front of the blue haired man and left.

The ultramarine stared at it. Even though he could feel his stomach begin to digest itself, he resisted the urge to eat it.

"Are you going to eat that?" Asked a weak voice.

The bluenette looked up and into the darkness, finding a pair of black eyes staring at him from the cell beside his own. He picked up the bread and water, and slowly crawled over to him, "I'm not hungry. You can have it."

The maroon haired man looked at it, and then back to him. His stomach turned as he looked at the bluenette's skeletal-like features, "are you sure? I already had mine and I feel bad taking other people's food."

"Don't be ridiculous." he reached out and placed the food in his hands, "Eat it."

Without another word, the maroon haired man ate it quickly. "Are you from Fiore?"

"Yeah," the ultramarine leaned back on the cold walls, "Sergeant Major Jellal of the Fiorean army. What about you?"

"I'm from the Bellum army, "he chugged down the water, "Private Erik."

"Why are you in here?" Jellal asked, "this is Nirvana prison. You practically own it."

"I don't." Erik chuckled, "I was caught helping out a Fiorean soldier."

"So they threw you in here?"

"Pretty much."

He was just like Jellal. Deceived by his own comrades.

Jellal held out his hand, "pleasure to meet you, Erik."

"Yeah." He shook his hand, "you too."

**Jellal: "for months, we were planning of a way to escape the prison. "**

**Erza: "how long did it take you? "**

**Jellal: "it took us until the middle of February. So, six months."**

**Erza: "six months?! How did you escape it?"**

**Jellal: "I was just about to move on to that."**

"So once we get the keys, we find my friend, Erigor." Jellal drew something on the floor with a piece of chalk, "he's pretty good at navigations."

"Once we get your buddy, Erigor. We head to the garage, where we use anything we could find to go to the train station in Iceberg."

"Okay, but we must make sure not to attract any attention." The ultramarine smirked, "are you ready to fight for freedom?"

Erik nodded and stood up, "every plan starts of with the first step." He grinned, and pretended to groan in pain "help me! My arm!"

"What is it now?!" The soldiers growled, walking towards the cell

Jellal took off whatever was left of his shirt and waited for the soldier to arrive. Once he arrived, the ultramarine wrapped the shirt around his neck and pulled, suffocating and killing the soldier. He grabbed the keys and unlocked the door.

After unlocking Erik's cell, the two headed to Erigor's cell. The white haired man looked at Jellal, "Sergeant major? You look like a fucking battered skeleton."

"Looks don't count now, Erigor." Jellal opened his cell and Erigor walked out, "c'mon, we haven't got long until the next patrol."

The three men quietly made their way down to the garage, "Hey Jellal." Erigor whispered, "are you sure we can trust him? He's with the Bellum army. He's the reason we're in this goddamn mess."

The bluenette nodded, "I trust him with all my life. He and us aren't so different. We were all once loyal soldiers, betrayed by our own." He looked down the hallway their walking down, "Abandoned and forgotten. We're all brothers, striving for the same goal, hungry for the taste for vengeance."

They didn't realize several a Bellum soldier behind them. Before any of them could react, the soldier shot Erigor in the chest. The two watched helplessly as the white haired man fell forward. "ERIGOR!" Jellal cried, diving towards him, but was stopped abruptly.

The maroon haired man grabbed his arm, "we haven't got any time to mourn for him! We must leave!"

Jellal nodded and wiped the tears that welled up in his eyes, "you're right..." he choked and stood up. They quickly ran down the hall, dodging millions of bullets that came to them.

Suddenly, they saw a grenade fly out of nowhere. It was a chemical grenade. "GAS!" Erik screamed.

Before Jellal could do anything, the grenade exploded and poisonous gas began filling the hallways. The ultramarine unintentionally took in a breath. His head all of a sudden felt very light and he fell onto his knees, clutching his burning chest. He cried out in agony and coughed out blood, watching his vision slowly starting to darken.

Looking up, he saw Erik running towards him. But, before he could reach him, darkness surrounded him and he found himself lost in the shadows of hell.

**Erza: "what happen next?!"**

**Jellal: "be patient, young scarlet."**

The bluenette's head was still swimming when he finally opened his heavy-lidded eyes. His body was being shaken slightly by a gentle force. He noticed that he was on a train.

"Jellal," a voiced sighed from the blackness, "I was wondering when you'll wake up."

"Erik, what happened?"

"The poisonous chemical you inhaled knocked you out for a while." He joined the blue haired man and smiled, "so I carried you here."

"You carried me from the prison, all the way to the train station?" he asked, "why?"

"What are brothers for?" he held out his hand, "we protect each other."

"Thank you, Erik. I owe you." the ultramarine took hold of his hand and Erik pulled him up, "You saved my life."

"No, you don't owe me anything." Erik laughed, "we're free, Jellal... We're finally free!"

* * *

"Now, when we returned back to Fiore. Erik was desperate to get back to his girlfriend, Kinana." He paused, "Sadly, he found out she passed away a month before..."

"Oh god…"

"This is why sometimes, I feel kinda happy for him." He murmured, "he's up there, reunited with his loved ones."

"He's also resting in peace."

"But, i feel bad because i wasn't there for him when he needed me most." he bowed his head in shame, "I'm a terrible person..."

"Don't say that, Jellal." she rubbed his arm soothingly, "It's not your fault."

"Yeah," he gripped her tighter, "he's also with Levy and Gajeel. Hopefully, he'll give them some company."

"We'll find the killers," Erza snuggled on his chest and looked up at him, "I know we will."

"Of course."

Lieutenant shivered, "can we go inside?" She asked, "it's getting a little cold. And unlike you, I'm not used to it."

"Fine," he chuckled and released her, "let's go."

* * *

_Who's the next victim? Who's the killers planning on killing next?_

"Jellal," Gray walked into his office to find him writing vigorously on a piece of paper, "We couldn't couldn't find any hairs or anything at the crime scene."

"That's… unpredictable." The ultramarine stood up and closed the door behind Gray. He then made his way back to the drawing board and stared at it, "I've manage to narrow it down to three people."

"How?" Erza asked, lifting her head from the desk.

Gray crossed his arms, "yeah, how?"

"I've manage to enter the Army database." He explained, "the gun that was used to kill the victims at a point blank range was an M1911."

"And..."

"Now, most people in the army use a glock." He took out a pistol and placed it on the table, "which means, one of the people with the M1911 is our killer and only 3 people use the gun. Once we find him, we could interrogate him about his partner and then, boom. Both killers in custody."

"That's a good idea!" Gray opened the door, "I'll track these people down now."

"You don't even know who they are." Jellal reminded, holding out a piece of paper, "the names."

"Okay." With that, the raven haired man left the room.

The scarlet haired woman smiled at him, "you're really good at these things." She stood up, "what's your secret?"

The ultramarine smirked, "I don't have one."

"Don't wanna share? That's fine by me." She opened the door, "I'll see ya later."

The agent grabbed her wrist gently, "where are you going?"

"Home."

"What?" He knitted his eyebrows together, "you're not going back there with Simon."

"I know. I'm just giving him back his ring." She showed him her engagement ring, "I thought about what you said and I'm gonna stay with Luc-"

"No." He interrupted, "you're not going with Lucy. We'll go get your stuff and I'll bring you back to my house. You can have the room you were staying."

"Jellal, I don't want to bother y-" she stopped when he pressed her against the wall, and she gulped at the intensity of his hazel eyes.

"I insist." His face was emotionless, but his eyes had a sense of longing in them, "you can stay for as long as you want. I don't mind."

"You're too kind, Jellal." She smiled and traced his tattoo with her thumb, "I feel bad staying at your house."

"Don't." He released her, and put on his black coat, "now, let's go get your clothes and whatever else you need."

"I'm going on my own." She placed her hands on his chest, stopping his movements, "Simon won't be home, since he's working the late shifts on a Tuesday. Let me go by myself, please."

He sighed, "fine…" he took off his coat and wrapped it around her, "call me when you're done and I'll come pick you up."

"I will." She pecked his cheek and headed to the exit, "I'll be quick."

"Don't forget!" He called.

"I won't!"

* * *

Erza stepped into her house, noticing that it seemed smaller than before. Maybe, it was because she spent most of her time with Jellal, in his house. She sighed dreamily, thinking about the bluenette and then, climbed up the stairs. "After today, I won't be living with Simon anymore... I'll be with the one I love."

"We'll see about that." Snarled a voice in the darkness.

Lieutenant paused, her heart suddenly felt like it was in her throat. Adrenalin began pumping around her veins, but was rendered useless as fear immobilized her body.

There's someone in her house.

She turned around quickly and saw a hooded silhouette. Before she had time to react, the figure slammed his fist into her stomach, and then upper cutting her, knocking her off her feet. She felt blood streaming down, from her forehead and lost consciousness.

Erza opened her eyes a few minutes later and felt her head throbbing. She tried to move her limbs, but both her hands and legs were tied up. Realization hit her hard.

She was the next victim.

Her eyes widened with fear and she strained against the rope that trapped her. She's now a prisoner in her own home. "About time you got up, me and friend was getting a little bored." Spoke a harsh voice.

"Let me go, you piece of shit!" She screamed.

"Wow, you're way too loud for my liking." He growled, placing a piece of tape over her mouth.

'Jellal… please, save me!' She thought mentally, feeling him take hold of her legs and dragged her down the stairs. Her head banged on each individual steps and she cried out in pain, but the sound was muffled by the tape.

"I want to introduce you to my friend." He carried on dragging her until they got to the living room.

He roughly sat her up and smirked, "this is my friend." He gestured to another man, who was wearing a mask, "now let's call your boyfriend. See if he'll answer you." He took out his phone and dialed Jellal's number. To Erza's surprise, he didn't pick up. "Shame..."

"Tell us, Erza." He ripped the tape from her mouth and she winced, "what has Jellal told you about us?"

The masked man crossed his arms, "did he say anything specific?"

Erza turned her face, not wanting to answer their question. "Not answering, eh?" The hooded man asked. He grabbed her chin forcefully and crushed his lips on hers. The act so violent, it hurt her. He pulled away, looking at the teeth marks on her lips.…

Lieutenant groaned in disgust. She felt several tears leak out her eyes and she glared at them, "I don't know what you're talking about." She growled.

One of them grabbed her by her hair and lifted her up. She screamed and thrashed around violently, attempting to break out his menacing grip. He rammed her against the mirror, "look at yourself, Titania. You've been defeated. So, no more hiding things."

Erza didn't say anything and kept her mouth shut. "Still not being submissive?" He tossed her back on the floor and chuckled, "a lesson must be taught, Lieutenant. And you're the student." He pulled her up roughly and landed a powerful blow to her face.

* * *

Jellal sat in his office, looking at his phone and desperately waited for Erza to call him back. He just recently got a call from the killers, but ignored them, knowing that their clues are useless. He lifted his phone and attempted to call her. But instead, he got to her voice mail.

"Erza, it's me, Jellal." He spoke, "call me as soon as you can, please." He closed his eyes and thought about her. He thought about running his hands through her beautiful scarlet tresses and down to her face.

"Jellal," Gray waved his hand in front of his face, "what is a the name of the iron pigment in yellow paint?"

The ultramarine looked at him, "monohydrated ferric oxide, also known as ochre yellow." He pursed his lips together, "has Erza called you?"

The raven haired man smiled sheepishly and sat in front of him, "you're worried about her, aren't you?"

"Of course I am, especially with all these murders going on."

The raven haired man smirked, "you know what I think?"

"What?"

"You're in love with her."

"How did you come to such a conclusion?" He blushed bright red, "what makes you think that?"

"The way you look at him." He grabbed a pen and attempted to mimic the way he stares at Erza, "you look at her like this."

He rolled his eyes, "expect, I don't strip down to my boxers."

Gray looked down at himself, clad in a pair of boxers and a tie, "what the?"

"Maybe I am in love with her. But, I'm just too afraid to say." There was a long pause before any of them spoke up. The ultramarine buried his face into his hands.

You don't know how long I have waited and I was going to tell you tonight…

"Tell her." Gray said simply, "I don't care if you fall in love with her. Yes, we dated at one point, but I figured that she deserves a better man. A man like you." He leaned back is chair, "confess to her."

"You really think I should do that?"

"Of course." He mumbled, "you makes her smile every time you're near her, and I feel happy when she smiles."

The agent didn't say anything. He was not entirely sure of asking her, afraid that she'll push him away.

"Jellal, please." The raven haired man pleaded, "Erza's been through a lot and she deserves a decent man in her life."

"I'll think about it."

* * *

"Wake up…" the man shook her and she opened her eyes, "you're stronger than I thought. You survived my sucker punch. Only a few people manage to walk out unarmed by it."

Erza felt herself grow weaker, looking at all the cuts and bruises on her body. Her entire being was numb with pain. Excruciating pain. She looked at the two men before her and then back to the ground.

He slapped her across her face and her head jerked to the side and she whimpered, "I SAID: WAKE UP!" He grabbed her and yanked her up to a sitting position.

She felt the life draining from her body and struggled to perform the most simple of tasks. She didn't know how much of she could handle.

"Now, has Fernandes said anything to you?" He asked, pressing a knife to her neck and moving it down to her collarbone.

She shrieked in pain and clenched her fist in torment, feeling even more blood trickle down her chest. A groan escaped her throat and she fell forward.

Lieutenant heard him get up and walk off, "you're boring." He growled. She looked at the knife sitting on the table and sat up. She turned her back to it and reached out, cutting herself free. The scarlet haired woman stood up and went for her phone.

"What do you think you're doing?" Asked the other killer. He grabbed her phone and gave it to his partner.

The leader smiled coldly, "trying to call your boyfriend, eh?"

Erza looked around and ran towards the door. Before she could reach the door, she felt a sharp pain at the back of her head, and before she knew it, she was falling into the abyss of darkness.

* * *

Gray and Jellal were in the office, both waiting for a call from Erza. Jellal was sleeping in his chair, while Gray was playing games on his phone.

All of a sudden, the bluenette's phone rang. The two instinctively jumped away from it, and stared at it for a few minutes. "It's Erza." The ultramarine mumbled, picking up the phone, "Erza, it's about time you call back, you got-"

But a demonic chuckled from the other side made his blood run cold. He looked at Gray and scribbled something on a piece of paper.

The raven haired man read it and his face slackened. His brows knitted together and his eyes hardened with concern.

"I'm sorry, Fernandes. But Erza isn't able to answer the phone right now."

* * *

**I'm sorry for leaving it like that, but I'll try and get the next chapter up as soon as possible.**

**Until next time!**


	8. Chapter 8

**What did I say? **i** told you this chapter will be up soon!**

**Thank you all for the reviews, **i** really appreciate it.**

**I now present you with the next chapter!**

**Chapter 8: Diagnosis**

* * *

"I'm sorry, Fernandes. But Erza isn't able to answer the phone right now." The killer smirked, looking down at the unconscious lieutenant.

He heard Jellal's hasty breaths and laughed, "What's the matter, Fernandes?" He asked, "cat got your tongue?"

"What the hell did you do?!" Growled the bluenette's sour voice.

"Let this be a lesson to you." He grinned, "a lesson you'll NEVER forget."

"You better watch your six," Jellal snarled, "I'm on my way."

"I'm sooo scared." He said sarcastically. When the ultramarine declined the call, the killer scoffed and took out an M1911. "You do it," he handed it to his companion, "kill her."

The man took the gun and looked down at the scarlet haired woman. A wave of remorse washed over him and he shook his head, "I'm not doing it." He dropped the gun to the floor, "you heard Jellal. He's coming to get us."

"No, he's not."

"Look," he murmured, "we're talking about Jellal Fernandes here. He's a sergeant major and served in the army for six years. This man, he knows everything."

"He knows nothing."

"You're dead wrong. Once he's got a mindset, nothing will stop him from achieving it. He's invincible."

"Stop being such a wuss and just do it." His boss growled, "you know what you signed up for."

"Well then," he turned away, "I quit."

"You can't just walk out."

"I can do whatever I want. I don't want to kill any more innocent people."

"You've done it many times before." The hooded man picked up the gun, "and now you're saying you don't want to kill? What's wrong with you?"

"Before... That was different. I killed enemy soldiers."

The man watched him walk out the back door, "fine." He murmured, "go and get yourself arrested. I have a game to play." He cocked the gun and pointed it to Erza, "farewell, Erza. I did love you at some point in time."

Before he could pull the trigger, he heard the roar of a loud engine, followed by several police sirens. "How did he get here so fast?" He asked himself, "I guess he is on his way."

He mentally cursed and slipped the gun back into his pocket, "looks like your boyfriend's here to save the day." He crouched down beside her, leaning closer to her, "to be continued..."

* * *

"ERZA!" Jellal cried, slamming his fist onto the door, "Fuck sake... ERZA!"

Lucy and the other Fairy Tail police officers arrived at the scene and were shocked by the amount is people scouting the area. The secret services, swat team, the army, paramedics and others. The group joined Jellal at the lieutenant's door steps.

They looked at the swat team, all of them wearing heavy duty body armor with ceramic plates. Their faces were covered with bullet-resistant helmets and protective eyewear. They turned to Jellal, who wore just a bulletproof armor. His sleeves were rolled up, revealing the tattoo on his forearm.

"We're dealing with a possible hostage situation. A police lieutenant is in jeopardy." The swat officers spoke into the earpiece, "we need thermal imaging system to locate any suspects."

The road that was once quiet and peaceful was now filled with many people and many voices. Everyone came out their house to see what the commotion was about.

"I'm not waiting much longer…" the bluenette snarled, taking a few steps back. He gestured to a member of the secret services and he threw a carbine rifle over to him. He looked at the group of army men, "Whiskey team. I want you to go to the eastern front. Alpha, the west." He cocked his gun, "I'm going in."

The men saluted him, "Roger that, sergeant."

Gray looked at him, almost like he was speaking another language, "you can't just burst into someone's home!" He took out a gun of his own, "you need a warrant."

"Warrant, my ass." Jellal rammed himself through the door, smashing it into smithereens. The swat team followed quickly and scattered around the house. "Erza!" The bluenette cried, looking at the blood splatter on the walls. He had a flashback of what had happened with his sister. It was almost like a re-occurrence.

_There was blood everywhere._

"Sir, upstairs is clear." The police confirmed.

He walked into the living room and stopped. His legs turned to jelly and his heart leaped out his chest. The gun in his hand dropped to the ground as he tried to persuade himself that this was all a dream. Nothing but a horrid nightmare.

_But it was all real._

Erza lay silently on the wooden floor. Crimson liquid pooled the area around her. He was shaken at the sight of her. Cut, gashes and bruises covered her back and her vibrant scarlet tresses were now coated in her own blood.

'Mavis have mercy...' he thought and raced over to her. He held her in his arms and gently turned her over. He looked at her pale white face, and then to the large cut on her cheek and forehead. His head felt like it was floating on his neck.

He reached out his shaking hands to brush her hair out of her face. His watery eyes traveled downwards to the open wound on her neck. His lips trembled, nothing coming out his mouth. His words slowly melted away like felt, and his heart tore into millions of tiny pieces. "Erza…"

_He failed her and it was all his fault._

He checked her pulse and his heart made only a few beats of happiness as he felt gentle throbbing on her neck. "We need a paramedic!" He cried, lifting the young woman from the ground. Tears escaped his eyes and fell upon the woman's cheeks, "She's got a pulse!"

Gray looked up at Jellal, who rushed out the door. A feeling of nausea hit him hard as he saw Erza lying lifeless in the agents arms. "ERZA!" He screamed, running over to the blue haired man.

Natsu and the others rushed to their side. Suddenly, paramedics began swarming around them, like a bunch of hungry locusts. They attempted to take the lieutenant from Jellal, but he refused, "No! Don't touch her!" His mind was becoming hazy at the thought of losing the woman be loved dearly.

"Jellal, just give her to them!" Gray yelled, tears falling from his face, "they'll take care of her."

"Please, Jellal." Lucy begged.

The ultramarine was reluctant. He was betrayed by too many of his own friends to trust even the most trustworthy of people. "Promise me you'll help her." He growled, feeling adrenalin pumping through his veins as his sadness faded away and turned to anger, "PROMISE ME!"

"We will." The paramedics took Erza from his arms and placed her on a stretcher. They hooked a heart monitor to her and placed an oxygen mask over her mouth.

Before he knew it, the ambulance that carried the scarlet haired woman was already descending into the darkness. He stood motionless and then looked down at his hands and then the sleeves of his white shirt. They were covered in blood.

_Her blood._

"FUCK!" Gray roared, slamming his fist onto a nearby lamppost. He looked up at his pink haired friend, who was trying to comfort his girlfriend. But instead, found himself crying with her.

The ultramarine fell to his knees. He started chewing on his lower lip and his eyes welled up with more tears. He wanted nothing more than to just rewind time and tell her how much he loved her. How much he wanted to be with her. But now, looking into the eyes of the inevitable, he could only pray to the God that he thought had cruelly abandoned him.

He screamed at the sky, wondering why life always turned its back on him, or slam the door in his face.

What did Erza do to deserve such a fate? She was always so caring, warm, friendly and is loved by all her friends.

He bled the salt of his eyes and it leaks from his face and down to the ground. He's broken without her. Without her, he's nothing. His heart desperately seeks the warmth that radiates from her.

A blind rage like a fire swept over him.

"Just you wait," Jellal hissed angrily, clenching his fist, "I'm coming to get you..."

* * *

Natsu watched Gray desperately walked up and down the ICU, "why would they do this to her?" The inspector asked.

"Gray, calm down." Natsu growled, "we're in the hospital and I knows that the doctor will be able to help Erza."

"I'm didn't say anything about the doctors!" Gray crouched, as if challenging him to a fight, "I want to know who did this to her!"

"You look like you're picking a fight," Natsu stood up and glared at him, "come at me stripper!"

Gray subconsciously removed his clothes and charged towards him, "you're gonna regret that, flame brain!"

Before they could land an attack on one another, someone came from nowhere and grabbed the two by the arm, "shut up!" He hissed, "we're in a hospital!"

"Laxus!" The two squeaked, "we'll behave!"

The blonde glared at them, "yeah, shut it!" He released them.

Gray put his clothes back on and looked at the wall in front of him, "yo, Laxus. What are you doing here?"

"Me and gramps wanted to check on Erza." He gestured to the chief who was talking to one of the nurses, "unfortunately, they're still doing several scans, bandaging and other hospital shit."

"Do they know when we'll be able to see her? Natsu questioned.

"How am I suppose to know?"

"Erza's been in there for at least twelve hours." Gray covered his face with his hand, "she'll probably be in there for a while."

Natsu raised an eyebrow, "Where's Jellal?'

"He's with Lucy and Juvia. They're processing the evidence in Erza's house." Laxus explained, grabbing a cup of water.

"Why did you let him go?"Gray asked, "his childhood best friend is in a coma. Yesterday, she almost died in his arms. Don't you think this will affect him?!"

Laxus glared at him, "He insisted on going."

* * *

"The blood pool looks disturbed." Lucy sighed, looking at the crimson liquid all over the floor, "this is horrible…"

"Tell me about it..." Juvia looked at the furniture scattered around the house, "it looks like a bomb hit the place."

"The blood pool is disturbed because," they turned to see Jellal stepping into the room, "I disturbed it last night, when I lifted Erza from the ground."

Lucy instantly saw discomfort on his face when he looked around the living room, "Jellal, what are you doing here?"

"I wanted to help process the evidence."

"We could do with the extra hands," Juvia stood up and gave him a pair of latex gloves, "have you ever processed evidence in the secret services?"

"Many times," he slipped on the gloves and turned to the blood splatter in the floor, "the blood splatter on the floor suggest that she was hit in the head by a blunt object. After lieutenant got hit, the object smashed into many pieces."

Lucy and Juvia looked at each other, "how…?"

"The different patterns of blood on the floor tell us a story. But, it's our job to find out what the story's telling us." The ultramarine crouched down and picked up a piece of a coffee mug, "ladies, I have our weapon that was used to hit Erza."

The two girls crowded around the bluenette, "what is it?"

"A very big coffee mug." He stood up and studied it closely, "judging by how small the pieces are, the impact must've been pretty powerful. So, the killer swung at Erza with a downwards motion, since the arm picks up more velocity than an upwards motion. This means, the killer and/ or killers are both taller than the lieutenant."

The two looked at Jellal, their mouths hung open, "how did you get all that information from that one piece of glass?"

"Well, you have to think outside the box." He turned to Juvia, "can you collect at the pieces of this coffee mug and place it in this bag?"

"Sure." Juvia took the bag and began picking up the gathering the glass particulates.

The agent cleared his throat, "lieutenant was hit here because the blood splatter is behind the blood pool." He explained, "but, the splatter was disturbed here." He looked down at where the there was supposed to be the splatter, "showing that the killer was standing her while he smashed the mug into her head."

"But the actual attack didn't start here." Lucy murmured, looking at the blood trail that leads upstairs.

Jellal followed the trail and looked up the stairs. He looked down at his feet and noticed something. Crouching down, he looked at the red liquid in the floor, "Lucy, Juvia!" He called.

"Yeah?" They responded in unison.

"I found gravitational blood drops."

"What's that?"

"Blood drops that are influenced by the law of gravity."

Lucy poked her head from the living room, "eh?"

He crouched down on the ground and analysed it closely, "hm… the spreading-out of the droplet shows us that killer is slightly taller than me."

"How do you know?"

"Simple science, Lucy." He took out his swiss army knife and gently opened a cut on his finger. He then pulled out a piece of papers and gathered the red liquid forming at the tip of his finger with the knife, "the size of the droplet depends on the height and speed in which it fell." He held the blade over the paper and they watched the blood drip off the knife and land on the white sheet. Creating a not-so-big droplet. "This droplet didn't have enough time to accelerate and reach its terminal velocity."

"Yeah," Lucy nodded, "that makes so much sense! So the killer is tall, which means that the droplet had enough time to accelerate to a certain speed."

"Exactly!" Jellal spoke confidently, "but, it didn't have enough time for both the gravitational force and air resistance to balance out. Which means, it didn't reach terminal velocity. So, we're looking for someone around..." he stopped and closed his eyes for a little while, "5'8, 5,9 or even 6'0."

Lucy gasped softly, "Simon's 5'9. He could be a suspect."

"Yeah..." Jellal murmured, "he wasn't at the department yesterday. So he has a decent Alibi which puts him right at the crime scene."

"I'm gonna go write this down."

"Lucy, wait." Jellal stopped her, "can you find a knife in the kitchen. Cause, it looks like they used a knife."

"I'll do my best."

The ultramarine slipped on another pair of latex gloves, "I'm heading upstairs. Because it looks like it all started there."

* * *

Jellal stepped into Erza's room and looked around, "there's no blood in the room, which means that Erza was attacked in the hallway."

"Look for anything in Erza's room. The killer might have been in there while lieutenant was unconscious." Lucy's voice came from downstairs.

The ultramarine looked around her tidy room. It wasn't really big, nor was it small. He looked at the book beside her table and grabbed it. His jaw dropped and his face immediately reddened, "Uh… Lucy?"

"What? Did you find something?"

"I never knew Erza was into erotic novels." He blushed at the thought of her reading it.

"What was that? I didn't hear you."

Jellal gulped and placed the book back on the table, "nothing!" He replied, looking down at the book, "if Erza finds out I've been snooping around in her room, she'll kill me..." He turned away and walked out her room. Closing the door, he tried to rid the naughty thoughts racing through his mind of her reading such a novel.

"What did you find?"

The bluenette let out a strangled cry and jumped at her sudden appearance, "I didn't see anything!" He ran his thick blue hair, his heart racing in his chest, "I mean... I've manage to piece together what happened last night."

The third grade detective smiled slightly, finding his bright red face very amusing, "what happened?"

He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, "well, last night, around eight at night, Erza arrived at her home. She went upstairs, but was unable to enter her room. This is when killer attacked her." He brushed past the blonde, "after she woke up from being unconscious for an hour, the killer dragged her down the stairs. The blood trail on the floor suggest she was struggling while he did it." He cringed at the horrific image burnt into his retinas.

"What happened after?" Lucy asked, following him down the stairs.

"He took her into the living room. There, the killer's companion pushed her against that mirror over there." He pointed at the mirror in the wall, "then they knocked her out again. When she woke up, they must've asked her some questions about me. Then, the two killers left her. Erza found this as an opportunity to escape. She used the knife on the table to cut the ropes that tied her and ran to get her bag to find her phone, and call me."

"Unfortunately," Lucy took over from him, "she wasn't able to make it…"

"The scattered furniture show signs that Erza struggled during the situation." Jellal sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, "she put up a fight and she might have some of the killers' DNA on her." He shook his head, stopping himself from tearing up.

Lucy rubbed his arm, "don't worry Jellal. We'll catch them…"

Juvia walked into the room to join them, "Jellal, looked what I found." She held up the shell of a bullet, "it was a few meters away from where I found the final piece of the coffee mug."

He took the shell and looked at it, "A 45 ACP. A bullet used by the M1911."

"But, Erza want shot, wasn't she?" Juvia asked.

"No, she wasn't." He gripped the bullet shell in his clenched fist, "she was about to. The killer freaked out when he heard the sirens in the distance and left."

The room fell deathly silent, none of the girls wanting to say anything as they felt the air around the bluenette tense. A sudden sequence of high-pitched rings pierced through the stillness of the room. They all jumped up, startled. Jellal reached into his pocket and quickly picked up the phone, "Fernandes." He said formally.

"Jellal, it's me, Gray." The voice spoke.

"Ah, Gray." He murmured, "any news?"

"The doctors are done with the operations and bandaging."

"Alright, I'll see you in a bit." He put down the phone and turned to the two girls, "send all the evidence back to the lab. I'm going to the hospital."

* * *

Gray sat by Erza's side, clutching her hand in his. He thought back to last night, when Jellal held her in his arms. She was covered in her own blood. He started to feel slightly ill and just wanted to sob, but he dared not. If he started crying, he wouldn't be able to stop himself.

"Gray…" breathed a voice.

The raven haired man looked up at the door. His eyes landed on the bluenette who was clutching his knees, trying to catch his breath. Inspector stood up and walked over to him. He held out his hand and Jellal gladly took it. "How is she?" The bluenette asked.

"She's stable." Gray replied.

"What are the diagnosis?"

"I don't know."

Jellal sat on her bed, looking at the amount of wires that were attached to her and then to the oxygen mask on her face. He promised himself he wouldn't cry. But, looking down at the person he fell in love with since childhood now, fighting for her life. He couldn't help but let out a sob and shed more of his tears uncontrollably.

The inspector shook his head and looked over to the pinkette, who did the same. Chief and Laxus stared into space. All their hearts tore at the sound of Jellal's sorrowful weeping.

"Come on..." Laxus whispered, "give the man some privacy."

With that, they left Jellal to be on his own. He stopped crying and looked at the lieutenant, who was sleeping soundly, "Erza… I'm sorry." He reached up and caressed her cheek with his thumb, "I never should have left you on your own."

"Sir?" Asked a voice.

He turned around to see a doctor standing before him, "doc, he murmured, getting rid if the tears from his face,"what are the diagnosis?"

"Well… she's sustained minor injuries which will probably heal within the next few weeks." The doctor explained, "but, the injury on her head..."

The bluenette felt his stomach churn and his chest tighten, "what about it?" He choked out, trying to stop himself from shedding more tears.

"The MRI scan shows us that the force of the impact was enough to cause subarachnoid hemorrhage. This has caused her to go into a temporary coma." He paused and handed him images of Erza's brain, "The trauma has caused some damage to the hippocampus. Resulting in amnesia."

The bluenette's eyes widened, "amnesia?!" He gasped, "the force must've been immense to cause such damage to the brain." He looked at the scan results, "looks like the subarachnoid hemorrhage is mostly at the parietal lobe, occipital lobe and the cerebellum. Indicating that she was hit from behind."

The room fell silent. The agent brushed her hair out her face and pressed his lips on her forehead, "sleep, my scarlet." He murmured, "I'll be back later." He gave her forehead one last peck before standing up, "doctor, there will be a few officers coming in to process her."

The doctor nodded, "Understood."

* * *

**I hope you all enjoyed it!**

**Don't worry Jellal and Erza will get together soon...**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey everyone! I was reading all the reviews you guys left and **i** couldn't be any happier! You guys are the best!**

**Ash Lite: Thank you so much Ash! I can't imagine this going through my head as well. Sometimes, when I**** write this, I**** usually doze off...**

**Bolamalua: They'll get together soon... *evil laugh***

**Rezomica343: My brain overloaded too!**

**Guest: I'm sorry for making you emotional... Here, let me hug you.**

**Guest: I'm glad you liked the story! Even I**** can't wait for them to reunite!**

**The bloodbrothers: You're right! Jellal did say it's someone from the army... But who?**

**MiereChan: you wanna know what happens next? Here's the next chapter!**

**Ishita.d: I might be a detective... you never know... :D**

**Amnak96: Where did you get Siegrain from? Lol, He MIGHT be the killer and we will never know...The DNA from the saliva... hmmm, that's very strong evidence indeed. But...**

**Mikasa-Chan: They will be together, Mikasa. But, when. I will never know...**

**I want to thank you all for reviewing, favoriting, following! I love you all!**

**Here's the next chapter!**

**Chapter 9: Hope that shattered**

* * *

"These roses are lovely." The nurse arranged the flowers and then closed the blinds.

The ultramarine looked down the lieutenant. He noticed that there was one less machine, and that she was breathing perfectly fine on her own.

"It's been two days." The nurse mumbled, "she's come off the life support machine last night because she's stable now and she's recovering quite quickly. Her Glasgow Coma Scale is on seven. Meaning, her coma is still quite deep."

"But is it getting shallower?"

"Yes, it is. We're thinking that she'll come out her coma in at least eighteen hours. But, we just did another MRI scan and saw how much damage there was to the hippocampus. When she wakes, her amnesia will be quite severe."

"Severe amnesia..." Jellal repeated. "Thank you for your honesty." He watched the nurse leave the room. Sleep began to consume him, but he refused to sleep one blink, wanting to be the first person Erza sees when she wakes. "Still nothing?" Gray asked, entering the room with Natsu and Lucy. He held out a pizza box, "I got Lunch."

Jellal smiled slightly and took the pizza, "she's still unresponsive." He took a bite out of it, "they think she'll probably slip out the coma tomorrow."

The blonde looked at the two bodyguards at the door, "you hired bodyguards to guards Erza's room?"

"I'm not having them attack her again… I've already seen too many of my friends and family die before me. I don't want the same thing to happen to Erza."

"I have a question." Natsu raised his hand, "what's a coma?"

The inspector rolled his eyes at the naive pinkette, "baka…"

"A coma, Natsu." The ultramarine started, "is a state where the person has minimal brain activity. They're alive, but can't move, waken or react to a certain stimuli. For example: pain, heat, noise, etc." He turned back to her, "when she wakes up, however. She'll be in a state of severe amnesia."

"We know..." Gray whispered.

They sat in silence for a moment. Jellal looked up at Lucy, "when you processed Erza, did you find any bodily fluids?"

Lucy frowned and "I found some of the killer's saliva on Erza's lips ."

Jellal mentally gagged and winced in revulsion, "they must've forcibly kissed her or something..." he shivered at the thought and tried hard not to vomit out his pizza, "ugh… did you send it back to the lab?"

"Yes," Lucy replied, "I've also linked it back to the department, criminal and army database-."

"So we have a much more wider variety of people to choose from." Jellal finished, "good idea Lucy!"

Lucy blushed, "thanks..."

"How long will that take?" Gray asked.

"I don't know..." Lucy mumbled, "I'll probably have it by tonight. If not, tomorrow morning."

"I can't believe this..." the inspector sighed, "they torture her, and then kiss her? What kind of a cruel psychopathic, deranged killer would do such a disguising thing?"

"They're starting to make me angry…" Natsu growled, "when I get my hands on them…"

"They manage to leave no trace, apart from some saliva on Erza's lips?" Gray asked, "these killers... they're experienced. Those bitches."

Suddenly, Simon burst into the room. But the two guards stopped him at the door, "what the hell?! I'm her Fiance for heaven's sake!"

"Sir, is he a friendly?" The bodyguard asked.

"For now." Jellal murmured.

They released the brunette and he ran over to Erza's side, "Is she okay?!" He practically yelled in Jellal's face.

Jellal stood up in his casual attire, consisting of a tight black muscle shirt and a pair of navy cargo pants. "Will you shut up?" he hissed. "The doctor said Erza is in a critical condition." He shot a cold look at him, "so, do us a big favour and be quiet."

Simon reached out a hand to touch lieutenant's face, but Jellal slapped his hand away. "What is your problem, Fernandes?!" He snarled.

"You're my problem, Mikazuchi." Jellal murmured. He turned to his three friends beside him, "give us a minute, will you?" They nodded and left the room, closing the door behind them. "Simon, why would you suddenly decide to turn up today?" He asked, "its been two days since Erza was attacked and, now is the time you want to come and visit her?"

"Look, I've been really busy." The brunette explained, "my sister, Kagura just graduated from college."

"I don't give a shit about your sister." The bluenette hissed, "you're her fiance. You're meant to protect her! Where were you when she needed you?!"

"I was busy!"

"My ass." He glared at him, "I have evidence that puts you right at the crime scene, Simon."

"What are you gonna do?" Simon scoffed, "arrest me?"

"No," he spoke, "not yet."

"That's right." The brunette laughed, "you haven't got the evidence to prove it! That's because you're wrong. I wouldn't do anything to hurt Erza. I love her."

"You express your love by abusing her?" He questioned, "you sure have a strange way of showing it..."

"You better shut your mouth, you cocky bastard." Simon glared down at him, "you don't know what you're talking about."

"Heh. Yeah right." The ultramarine crossed his arms, "Lucy found the killer's saliva on lieutenant's lips. She's getting the DNA tested and the results are coming tonight."

"What?!"

"Interesting thing, Saliva. Did you know, one drop of it contains your entire genetic blueprint?" He chuckled, "Of course you didn't know…" The ultramarine grabbed Simon's shirt collar, "If I find out that you're involved in all this," he threatened, "I assure you, you'd wish you've never been born, kid." He pushed him back.

The tall man fixed himself up and cleared his throat.

The ultramarine closed his eyes, "you know what? I think you're jealous."

"Jealous? Why would I be jealous?"

"Erza was going to give the ring back to you. You got jealous and decided to silence her. Unfortunately, you didn't have the time to kill her." The agent explained, "don't lie to me about the fact that Erza wasn't going to call off the engagement. She told me she was sick and tired of being abused by you, and wanted to start a new life."

Simon was in daze, "that's a lie!"

"No it isn't Simon, and you know it!" He narrowed his eyes, "now, where were you between the hours of eight and eleven at night, two days ago?"

"you're wasting your time accusing me. You really think I did this?" Simon snorted, "you little piece of-"

Jellal sighed and pointed towards the door, "Leave." He couldn't handle being in the same room with Simon. Any minute longer, and he'll end up beating him to a pulp. "Mavis' sake, he's so annoying!" He mumbled under his breath.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me, brunette." Jellal grumbled, still pointing at the door, "Get. Out. Of. My. Face."

"You're crazy! I'm not leaving!" Simon yelled, "I have rights!"

"No you don't." He clenched his fist, starting to lose his patients. "Get out. NOW!" Jellal didn't bother looking at him; he was staring out of window. "Before I call my security guards."

Simon scoffed and left the room. Gray walked in minutes later, "Natsu and Lucy headed back to the lab." He looked at Jellal, "what happened?"

"Nothing." The bluenette replied, heading for the door, "I have to go. Watch Erza for me. If anything happens, call me."

"Uh. Sure." The raven haired man answered, "where are you going?"

"Strauss bakery." He picked up his car keys, "I'm meeting an old friend."

* * *

A white haired woman watched as Jellal walked into the bakery, "afternoon Sir." She spoke kindly.

He bowed his head, "ma'am." He murmured, walking over to the counter, "you knew Erza Scarlet?" He asked, pointing at a picture of her and the scarlet haired woman.

"She's my best friend, and a frequent customer at our bakery," the woman sighed, "I heard about what happened to her. Me and my siblings were devastated about it."

"Well," the ultramarine took out an image, "I'm trying to find out who did this to her." He handed it to her, "have you seen this man?"

The woman nodded, "he's over there." She pointed at a nearby seat.

"Thank you, ma'am." He left some money on the counter and headed to the person sitting by the window.

"By the way! It's Mira!' The woman called.

Jellal sat in front of the man he was looking for. The person put down his newspaper, revealing his bald head and black eyes. He raised a brow and sat back in his chair, grabbing his tea and bringing it to his lips, "Jellal, you took your time."

"I was with a friend, Jura." The ultramarine murmured, "I'm sorry about what happened to your ex-police officer; Toby."

"He was a good kid." The bald man gestured to a young white haired woman, "Lisanna, can I have another cup of tea?"

The woman bowed and turned to agent, "would you like anything Sir?"

Without taking an eye off Jura, he nodded, "coffee; two sugars and no milk." He stared at the man in front of him, "how did you get those bruises on your knuckles?"

Jura slid his hands under the table, "what bruises?."

"you heard about the attack on Lieutenant Erza Scarlet two days ago?"

"Who hasn't?"

"Where were your colleagues that night."

"That's none of your business."

He slammed his fist on the table, "I lost my sister and brother-in-law to these killers. I lost two of my friends: one of them being really close to me. Two innocent young girls and your ex-worker were slaughtered by them." He whispered, "I have a three-year-old girl suddenly without both her parents. She watched as they strangled her mother and shot her. The girl's father suffered the same fate. And now, my childhood best friend is in a coma." He sat back and took out a packet of cigarettes, "So, of course it's my damn business!"

"Has my officers got something to do with this?" Jura asked, "my officers serve the country and they're good men. I'm a cop as well, and an ex-army folk, just like you. I wouldn't do such a thing."

"Really?" He puffed out some smoke and placed an image on the table, "this is the bullet shell for an M1911, a 45 ACP I found at Erza Scarlet's home." He watched the cop observe it closely. "But, that's not what's bothering me at the moment. It's the initials written on it." He pointed to the engraved letters on the shell "JN. Jura Neekis."

The man sat in silence, and stared at the image with disbelief.

"Care to tell me the reason why I found this bullet shell with your initials on it?"

"I lost that gun months ago." The bald man finally spoke, "while I was away, someone snuck into my office and took the gun."

"Why didn't you report it stolen or missing?"

"It was an old gun," he murmured, "and it's probably halfway across the world by now."

"Hm," the bluenette blew the smoke out of the side of his mouth, away from him, "where were you between the hours of 8 and 11, two nights ago?"

Jura turned to him, his eyes wide and his mouth hanging, "you think… I did this?"

"There could be a slight possibility." He stubbed his cigarette, picked up his coffee and took a sip, "I'm not taking any chances."

"Well, look somewhere else." The cop scowled, "you're looking at-"

"I asked you a question." Jellal glared at him, "you must answer it."

"You haven't got the authority to ask a high-ranking police officer."

"As a matter of fact, I can." He took out his card, "I work for the president of Fiore; the secret services, and I have been given the authority- by the president himself, to ask as much questions as I want, to whoever I fucking want to." He plonked his elbows on the table and leaned his chin on it, "now, let me ask again: where were you between the hours of 8 and 11, two nights ago?"

The man sighed in defeat, "I was in my office. With my colleague, Lyon Vastia."

"What about those bruises?"

"These?" Jura asked, holding out his knuckles, "I was um… trying to get the printer to work."

"I want the truth." The agent growled, " there is more bruising on your upper knuckle, indicating that you got into a fight. The first two knuckles takes the most impact when you punch someone, resulting in darker discolouration, exactly like yours."

He looked down at his knuckles and then back to Jellal, "someone broke into Lamia Scale Police Department last night." He explained, "I saw him trying to take the evidence. So, I tried to stop him, but he got away."

"The truth isn't so hard to tell, is it?" The bluenette downed the rest of his coffee, "what was he trying to steal?"

"The evidence for the death of Cheila and Sherry Blendy."

The ultramarine froze. The killers who slaughtered them were the ones who killed Levy and Gajeel. As well as putting Erza in a coma. "Did they take it?"

"No," Jura answered, "I manage to secure the evidence."

"That's good…"Jellal stood up, "Thank you for your time, Jura."

"Where are you off to now?"

"Looking for some answers."

The bald man smirked, "aren't we all?"

While Jellal stepped out the shop, he felt a bitter cold wind swept past him. It was cold enough for snow. He frowned and looked at his car, parked on the curve. Wondering what Asuka wanted for Christmas.

* * *

From outside the Fairy Tail police department, a hooded man glanced down at his watch and then back to the building, watching people go in and out of it. He smirked, 'It's time…'

Meanwhile, inside Lieutenant's office, Lucy pushed herself from the desk and swivelled around in her chair, before staring into Jellal's empty office. She pursed her lips. It's been several days since Jellal sat in that office. Her gaze went back to the reception. She watched as her friends moved around, most of them in a rush, exchanging smiles. Some answering phones, tapping keyboards on their computer and others staring into space.

"Yo, Lucy."

The blonde turned to the pinkette standing at the door, "oh, Natsu." She murmured, "has the results come back yet?"

"No... It's still going and through the department database." He sat on the desk and looked around the office, "what if it is someone at the department, Luce?"

"I don't know..." she whispered, "I guess, all we have to do is hope it's not."

Little did the two know, the hooded man snuck into the department and swiftly made his way to the boiler room. He took out a gas mask and several tools, before looking at the large tank of gas.

Meanwhile, Lucy was skimming through files from Jellal's office, when she picked up a scent of something odd. "Natsu, can you smell that?"

The detective sniffed the air, "it smells like a mixture of... petroleum, methane, butane and some propane gas."

"Gas leak…" the blonde stood up immediately and raced out the room. She pressed the alarm, "there is a gas leak! I want everyone to evacuate the building, now!"

Everyone stopped whatever they were doing, followed her orders and left the department. Lucy and Natsu did one final check to make sure everyone was out, before exiting the building.

Concurrently, the man inside the boiler room smirked, listening to the alarms sounding in the department. He reached into his bag and took out a C4. "I'm sorry Fernandes, but you know too much already..." he placed the bomb under the flammable gas tank and hooked several wires to it, "… and, it looks like I have the advantage." He pulled out the detonator, shoved it in his pocket, and then left the room.

"Hey, you!" The intruder turned around and looked at the two men, with gas masks, pointing a gun at him. "You were the one who started the leak! Now, put your hands up where we could see 'em."

"Idiots," He slowly raised his hand, "this is clearly a misunderstanding..."

"Don't try and pull any sneaky moves, kid."

Behind his hood, the man grinned evilly and reached to grab something behind him. As if in slow motion, he yanked out two pistols and shot the two guards. His eyes were cold as he looked down at their corpses, "pitiful officers..." he stepped over them and headed to the back door. The exit no one uses.

He walked out the building casually and looked at the Fairy Tail officers surrounding the area. A chuckle tore its way through his throat as he entered his car and drove away. He took out the detonator and ran his finger along the trigger, "you disregarded the rules, Fernandes. Now, you must suffer the consequences..." he pressed the button, hearing a loud explosion in the background, "farewell, Fairy Tail Police Department."

* * *

_Jellal looked around, his vision filled with nothing but red. He could barely hear himself think over the roar of the blood rushing through his head. Below him, lay the body of many people, their throats sliced open. He saw the lieutenant lay amidst the bloody corpse, including the bodies of his friends; Gray, Lucy, Natsu and Juvia. Their throats too, were slit. He crouched beside Erza, her eyes opened, staring into the distance._

_The ultramarine looked down at himself, his vibrant white clothing, stained red with the blood of his friends. Their arterial spray. His hands were trembling, as he looked at the bodies, all of a sudden, staring up at him. Their eyes blaming him for everything he's done. "This is all my fault..." Jellal whispered, "what have I done?"_

_"You didn't play by the rules…" a voice spoke calmly._

_He turned around, his eyes widened and his stomach churned, "Simon…" he gasped, "it was you...?"_

_The brunette held up a gun, "of course it was me." He grinned, "game over, Fernandes, And I win."_

The agent groaned and opened his eyes, waiting for the dream to slowly disintegrate and turn into nothing but a memory. He felt a sharp pain shooting up his back and clenched his teeth. He stared at the bull engraved into the steering wheel of his car and breathed out a sigh of relief. "Sleeping in a car is never a good idea..." he grunted to himself.

He sat back in his chair and tried to remember what happened before he fell asleep. Another groan escaped his throat as his head began throbbing painfully.

_Levy and Gajeel Redfox: found lying on the living room. A bullet through both their heads._

_Bisca Connell: died of strangulation and then shot in the head._

_Cheila and Sherry Blendy: Both were killed-_

His thoughts were interrupted when his phone rang. The bluenette cried out and almost jumped out his skin. He pressed the green button and held it against his ear, "Fernandes…" he yawned.

"Jellal, it's Lucy."

"Ah, Lucy." He looked at the time: 21:30. He's only been asleep for a few hours. "Have you got the results?"

"We couldn't get the results… something happened here…"

The bluenette quirked a brow, "what?"

"Je-Jellal…" the blonde stuttered, unable to say anything.

The two were silent and Jellal could hear the sirens within their conversation, "I can hear police sirens Lucy! What happened?!"

"It's the department..." she trailed off, "it's been destroyed."

His throat tightened, making it difficult for him to breathe. His vision blurred, as a mixture of fear and anger consumed him, bit by bit.

"Someone placed a bomb near the gas tank. No one was killed, but several got a first and second degree burns. However…" she paused, so did Jellal's heart. Lucy took in a shaky breaths before continuing, "we lost all our evidence…"


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Remember me?**

* * *

_"Jellal, tell me… who is there left to put your trust_ _in_ _when you were betrayed by your own comrades? When all the things you've done, all those times you've risked your life, is concealed within the deceptions and faults of selfish men?"_

Jellal groaned and slammed his fist several times into the punchbag, remembering Erik's words.

_"Do you trust your friends to help you? You never know, they will turn their backs and use you, just like what they did to me… I don't want the same thing to happen to you. So, decide, Fernandes. Decide what you think is worth fighting for."_

He let out a roar of frustration and threw a final punch. The bag ripped off its chains and was tossed back, hitting the wall behind it. The ultramarine took a few minutes to calm his breathing down. The bubbling anger within him is now nothing more than regret and pain. He unraveled the boxing hand wrap from his hands and threw them aside. Sitting down, the bluenette began lifting weights to work off the tension.

_Who is there left to trust in?_

"It's been two days since the devastation of the Fairy Tail Police Department, and the officers are still trying to retrieve any evidence they find." Jellal looked up at the television and picked up heavier weights, "now, here's Ultear Milkovich, telling us about the new partnership between the TOH and Fairy Tail."

Ultear nodded a thanks to the spokesman, "Fairy Tail has suffered many tragedies. They lost two of their officers and now, their lieutenant is in hospital." She sighed, "so, I've decided that the secret services and Fairy Tail will now work together in order to find and punish whoever did this."

The bluenette smiled and released the weights, "way to go, Ul." He reached for a towel and wiped the sweat from his face. Standing up, the bluenette went over to the mini-fridge and took out a bottle of cold water.

"When I got back to the department, I saw it engulfed in flames, and there was nothing I could do…" Simon's voice came from the TV, "it was terrible..."

Jellal stopped drinking and looked up at it. He narrowed his eyes, looking at the engagement ring on his finger. He pause the television and studied it slightly closer. The phone rang, and he looked at it, deep in thoughts. "Fernandes." He spoke and brought the bottle to his lips.

"Hey, it's Gray." The voice answered, "guess what?"

"Pizza?"

"No." The inspector chuckled, " Erza's awake."

The ultramarine was silent for a few minutes, still looking at Simon on TV. Realizing what Gray just said, he spat out his drink and looked at his phone, "Really?!" He asked, "like, fully conscious, wide awake and responsive?"

"Yes." The raven haired man responded, "she's sitting up as well. Dude, she's been awake since last night."

He quirked a brow, "no she hasn't."

"I was trying to call you last night!" Inspector reasoned, "but, you weren't answering your phone!"

"I wasn't in Fiore yesterday." The agent murmured, "the president sent me to Bosco yesterday."

"Why?"

"That's _classified_ information, Fullbuster."

"Are you coming to the hospital?" The man in the other side of the phone changed the subject, "We just got news that Simon will be here soon. Mavis knows what he'll tell her about you."

"I'll be there in a few minutes." The agent head towards the bathroom, "Gray, do me a favor and look at Erza's engagement ring."

"Uh. Sure." There was some shuffling and then Gray spoke again, "It's an encrusted palladium one. Is there something wrong with the ring?"

"Definitely," Jellal murmured, "Simon's not wearing the same ring. He's engaged to another woman, as well as Erza."

* * *

Gray looked at Erza; she was starting out the window, her eyes clouded with the memories locked in her head and her mind is now, as black as night. She looked bewildered and really didn't look like she knew where she was or what she was doing. Her eyes kept darting back and forth, looking like she didn't know anyone there. A room that was once full of her friends is now a room filled with strangers.

"I'm sorry I'm late..." whispered a low voice. The group whipped their heads around to see the agent walking into the room. He stopped and looked at the lieutenant. Her brown orbs met his eyes and he instantly melted.

His heart hammered inside his chest, as he stared at her. She turned her gaze from him and hugged her knees. She looked so weak, like a child without no memory. Seeing how vulnerable she is, all Jellal wanted to do, was sit in the corner and pretend this never happened.

"Erza…?" The bluenette murmured, moving closer to her.

"Erza…" The scarlet haired woman looked up, examining in detail, the blue haired man before her. "Who's Erza?"

He stopped and his mind went black. _'No, this can't be happening. She's lost it all. Her memories stripped from her._

"You're Erza." The bluenette murmured, trying to stop his heart from ripping out his chest.

"Who are you?" Lieutenant asked, her head cocked to the side, "do I know you?"

His eyes went wide when Erza asked such a question. His shaking hands reached up to cover his wide open mouth, his heart threatened to rip out his chest. He took several steps back, his vision blurring at the sudden rush of adrenalin.

"Jellal," Gray mumbled, "she hasn't just forgotten you. She's forgotten everything."

* * *

"Doctor, I didn't realize her amnesia would be this serious?" Jellal looked at the others sitting around the scarlet haired woman.

"That's the thing, Agent Fernandes…" the doctor whispered, "we couldn't predict what type of Amnesia she would have. I mean, I've seen worse damage to the hippocampus, but never have I ever dealt with hysterical amnesia."

"What's hysterical amnesia?" Lucy joined the two, "all I know is, that it's really rare."

"Hysterical amnesia is when a patient forgets not only their past but their very identity." The ultramarine turned to see the inspector trying to help Erza, "a person suffering from a severe trauma to the head and ends up being in a coma for a few days, could wake up and suddenly not have any sense at all of who they are - even if they look in the mirror, they do not recognize their own reflection."

"However," the doctor interrupted, "most hysterical amnesia cases don't intend to last very long."

The blonde turned to look at Natsu and the others, who were comforting the confused lieutenant, "so, Erza's basically forgotten everything. She remembers nothing?"

Jellal shook his head and massaged his temples, "her mind's now a mystery to her..."

"Poor girl…"

Lucy headed to the lieutenant's side and sat next to her.

"I've called a physiatrist to come in tomorrow to help her start walking again." The doctor flicked through several pieces of paper, "so, hopefully, Erza will be ready to leave hospital by the end of this week."

"Thank you so much for your help, doctor." The bluenette smiled, "I really appreciate it. But, I was wondering, do you know when Erza's memories will return?"

"Judging by her condition. I'll give it two weeks. However, you can help by giving, or showing her specific things that could trigger her memory slightly." She turned away, "the nurses are coming in later to bath her."

"Sure…" when the doctor left, Jellal's shoulders slackened and he frowned, "this is all my fault..."

"You really need to stop blaming yourself." Gray's sudden appearance made him jolt slightly, "it's nobodies fault. The killers were desperate because we were close to finding them."

"But, I should never have told anyone of you about their game... Maybe if I kept it to myself," He bowed his head in shame, "none of this would have happened."

The raven haired man gritted his teeth and grabbed his shirt, "Jellal, snap out of it!" He screamed and shook him, "we're a team, Fernandes. And we work together." He released him, "nobody is to be blamed for what happened… apart from the killers themselves."

"What now?" Natsu joined the two, "we've lost everything..."

Gray nodded, "we've got nothing, everything we've worked hard for, is gone. Now, with the fact that nobody saw or knows anything, makes things more difficult."

The bluenette turned to the scarlet haired woman who was speaking to Lucy, "except Erza."

_Awkward silence descended upon them._

"But..." Jellal carried on, "we need time for Erza to regain her memories. Lots of it."

Before anyone else could speak, Simon rushed into the room, "Where's my Erza?!" His gaze fixed onto the lieutenant looking at him with a baffled expression, "sweetheart, you're awake!"

Erza was slightly frightened at the man calling her 'sweetheart.' He raced towards her. But, before he could reach the woman, someone grabbed him and tackle him to the ground. Strangely, it wasn't Jellal.

_It was Gray._

"You fucking two-timing, jackass, worthless piece of shit!" The inspector growled, "how dare you?!"

The security guards began making their way into the hospital room. Jellal held out his arm, stopping them, "Stand down."

The scarlet haired woman stared at Simon and Gray in utter confusion. 'What's going on?' She asked herself.

"Gray, calm down." The bluenette pulled inspector off Simon, "breathe."

"What's your problem?!" Simon growled, "I'm only trying to visit my Fiancée and you come in and-"

"Shut up!" Gray launched himself at the brunette, but Jellal grabbed his arms.

"Let me." Jellal looked up at the brown haired man, "so, Simon. I really like your engagement ring."

"What's it to you?" He spat.

"I don't know..." the ultramarine looked over at Erza and then back to him, "Erza has an encrusted palladium ring. While you have a rose gold ring."

Simon hid his hand from sight, "what are you talking about?"

"You were cheating on Erza." He spoke simply, "she never liked you. So you decided to get engaged to another woman. I call that disloyalty."

"What?!"

"You can't hide anything from me, Mikazuchi."

The man shoved past the agent and stood in front of the lieutenant, "Hey Erza." He smiled, "you don't know how much I missed you."

Lieutenant moved away from him slightly, "who are you?" She asked, "I don't know who you are."

Simon took hold of her hands, "you don't remember me?" He held showed her the ring, "we're engaged, see?"

The woman looked at the ring for a moment. She shakily removed the ring and handed it back to him, "I'm sorry… I can't marry someone I don't know."

Simon's mouth dropped to the ground and his eyes widened like saucers, "what's going on?" He turned to Jellal, who was sniggering. The brunette threw a right hook at him, "you did this!"

The ultramarine ducked, "you idiot..." he blocked the next two blows that came at him. "Erza has a severe case of amnesia!" He jumped and rolled on the floor, "you're her Fiance, you should know."

Simon dodged the first punch he threw, but, went down on his knees when he slammed a fist into his stomach, then kicked him in the shin.

"Do you really think you could win against me?" Jellal growled. The agent seized him by the collar and yanked him up to eye level. "You were cheating on Erza during your engagement!" He shoved Simon onto the floor, "and now, you really think you could redeem her? Is that what you want to do?"

"I have nothing to say to you." He stood up and straightened his clothes, "I want to keep my private life: private."

The bluenette gestured to the security guards. They walked in and grabbed his arms, "you're lucky 'cheating on your soon-to-be-wife' is not a crime." He watched them take Simon away, "otherwise, I would have locked you up ages ago."

"Do you think he'll come back?" Gray asked.

"I highly doubt that." He sighed, running his fingers through his azure hair, "now, he's got two people wanting to kill him."

"Are you okay?" The raven haired man asked, "you look like a ghost."

Jellal opened his mouth to answer, but Erza spoke up, "who was that?"

The two males looked at each other and then back to the scarlet haired woman, "well..." Gray started, trying hard not to sound too complicated, "he's a person claiming to be engaged to you, but really isn't."

"That's not really it..." Jellal murmured, walking towards her. He knelt and looked into her eyes, "his name was Simon. Before you lost your memories, he was engaged to you."

"He was?" Lieutenant asked in disbelief.

"Look, Erza." The bluenette took hold of her hands. His head hurts so much, it felt like it was going to explode anytime soon, "I hope you don't mind my asking... But, do you remember anything?"

The woman shook her head, "no..." she whispered sadly, "all I could remember is walking up in a hospital bed." She looked at the man before her and smiled softly. Jellal thought he would have melted right there and then. "Even though I couldn't remember your name. I feel a strong bond between us. I'm not sure what it is… but, it feels like you and I share a connection with each other." She explained, her face heating up, "I somehow feel secure with you..."

"Scarlet..." he murmured, releasing her hand and standing up. His head dropped and he stared at the floor, "try not to overwork yourself."

_'Scarlet.'_ She thought, _'just like the color of my hair.'_

Her gaze fixed upon him. His eyes filled with guilt and sadness, and a bead of sweat trickled down his jaw bone. _'Why was he sad?'_

"Will you guys be okay if I left?" He asked, unable to meet Erza's gaze.

"Where are you going?" Lucy asked.

"I'm gonna see Simon's fiancée." He walked to the door, "Gray, you're coming with me."

The inspector stood up and grabbed his motorcycle helmet, "aye!" He joined the blue haired man, "who's his other one?"

"A person named Millianna."

"How…?"

"I'll explain on the way." He looked at Lucy and the others, "take care of her." He murmured before leaving.

Erza smiled and looked down at her hands, "Jellal…" she whispered, "Jellal Fernandes…"

* * *

"How did you know it was Millianna?" Gray asked, standing in front of the door with the agent.

The bluenette took out Simon's wallet, "while you and Simon were fighting." He explained, "I took out his wallet and looked at the picture inside it."

"Your smartness is on a different level, mate. You're definitely not human." Gray knocked on the door, "And, how did you know her name was Millianna?"

"Sho often spoke about her."

There was no answer. So, Gray knocked slightly louder, "Millianna, this is the police."

Jellal heard the front door open and turned to meet a pair of brown eyes, "may I help you guys?" The brown haired woman asked.

"You must be Millianna. I'm inspector Gray from the Fairy Tail police department." Gray revealed his police badge. He gestured to Jellal, who was hovering around the front lawn, "we're here to ask a few questions."

"Sure." She watched the two men walk into her house and into the living room, "please, take a seat." She got the two something to drink and sat with them, "is there a problem, officers?"

"Yes," the ultramarine rested his elbows on his knees, "you're engaged to Simon Mikazuchi, correct?"

"Yeah... Why?"

"Did you not know that he was engaged to another woman?"

Millianna's mouth dropped, "what?" She asked, not believing him, "you must have him mixed up with a different person."

He revealed the photo in Simon's wallet, "this is you and Simon, right?"

Tears leaked out Millianna's eyes, "no... It can't be." She sobbed.

The agent's eyes soften, "forgive me…" he put the picture back in his pocket, "take your time."

"It's just so hard to take in..." she whispered, wiping her face, "who is the woman engaged to him?"

"Erza Scarlet."

"Lieutenant Erza of FTPD?" The woman asked in doubt, "we were friends on high school. Sometimes, we would go out and grab some Strawberry cake, since that was her favourite desert." She chuckled softly, recalling several childhood memories, "where is Erza? Is she okay?" She saw Jellal's eyes fill with remorse, and then turned to Gray, who shook his head.

"Erza…." The blue haired man whispered, "she was attacked a few nights ago. Now, she's in hospital, suffering from amnesia."

"That's horrible." She gasped.

The man sat back on the sofa, "was Simon abusive towards you during your relationship?"

"No." She answered quickly, "he would never do anything to hurt me."

"But, he was abusive towards Erza."

Millianna covered her mouth with her hands, "no…" she breathed, "He seemed like a nice guy."

"He was probably using you to get close to Erza." Gray murmured, "that's what desperate men do."

"Why?" She cried, her breathing started to become heavier, "why would he propose to me?"

"To gain your trust." The bluenette answered, "he knew you and Erza were close friends. So, he dated you to get close to Erza. The reason he propose to you was because if he stopped your relationship, Erza would find him suspicious. So, he kept the relationship going to prevent himself looking suspicious"

"Oh my god…. I can't believe this…" she whimpered, burying her face into her hands, "I thought I knew him."

Suddenly, they heard the front door open. "Millianna, I'm home!" Said a feminine voice.

"Who's that?" Gray questioned.

"That's Kagura," she sniffed, "Simon's younger sister."

Kagura entered the living room and was started upon seeing the two strangers, "Millianna, who are these people?"

"We're from the police department." Gray looked into the woman's cold hazel eyes, "we're just asking some questions." He turned to Jellal who was looking at a painting on the wall, "found something?"

"This is a very nice painting..." the ultramarine murmured, "I remember touring the president of Bosco around the Fiore museum, and this painting caught my eyes. The name of it is: The Great Wave Of Kanagawa." He ran his thumb across the delicate paper, picking up some blue powder, "it has been painted over."

"I swear this painting is worth several million Jewls." Gray murmured, looking at the painting, "why would you paint over it?"

"Illegal smuggling... and, this isn't just any ordinary paint." Jellal rubbed his thumb and index finger together, "this is azurite. The same compound we found on the sniper rifle."

The inspector turned to Kagura, who was comforting Millianna, "where did you get this painting?"

"It was given to me as a gift."

"From who?"

"Simon." She replied, "he said a friend gave it to him."

Jellal looked at Simon's little sister for a moment. He could tell she's hiding something from them. "I'll tell you what." He uttered, "Let's play a game."

"Really?" The raven haired man asked.

"We all have electrical impulses on our faces which alters our facial expression." He explained, "we can't control them. So, if I was to say something that would make you feel fear, your expressions would change and you wouldn't even notice."

Gray turned to him, his eyebrows quirked, "What does this have to do with the investigation?"

"Just play the game, Fullbuster." He turned to the two women staring at him, "So, if i said: Simon's a deranged, psychopathic killer who likes killing people without mercy. How will you two react?"

Millianna's eyebrows knitted in confusion. While Kagura's face twitched with discomfort.

"Gray, take Millianna to the next room, please." Jellal ordered. The inspector nodded, took Millianna and left the two. "Kagura," The bluenette whispered, "is there something about your brother you need to tell me?"

"No." The woman snapped.

"Judging by your hostile attitude, your hiding something."

"Simon…" Kagura whispered sadly, "he was never a 'normal' kid…"

"What does that mean?"

"At a young age, he was diagnosed with anti-social personally disorder." She explained, "this made him exploit, manipulate or violate the rights of others. Lack concern, regret or remorse about other people's distress." She pursed her lips, "he would behave irresponsibly and show disregard for normal social behavior."

Jellal nodded his head slowly, "This made you protective over him because he was repeatedly breaking the law."

"Yeah…"

"Tell me more about him."

The woman looked at him, "I can't tell you about who he is." She mumbled, "but, I can tell you about who he was."


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: I'm soooo sorry for such a late update! School's been such a pain in the back side and i barely had any time to write this chapter...**

**Anyway, I want to thank you all for reviewing; it makes me really happy!**

**Here's the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it!**

**Chapter 11: Why he left her**

* * *

Erza stared out the window in her hospital room. Outside, the heavens opened up and bullets of rain began plummeting to the ground.

_Another cold and rainy afternoon..._

It had been two days since she had seen Jellal. Every day, Gray, Natsu, and Lucy would come and visit, but, the agent wouldn't be with them. She was desperate to find out more about him. Somehow, despite not remembering anything about the blue haired man, when she woke up from her coma, she felt attached to him. Now, the lieutenant is determined to find why she feels like this towards him.

There was a sudden knock at the door and the scarlet haired woman jumped slightly.

"Hey, mind if I come in?" Asked a deep, fruity voice. "And, wow. You're standing on your own."

She turned around, and a smiled grazed her lips as her eyes fixed upon the person standing at the door.

_Speak of the devil._

His clothes were slightly damp because of the rain while his azure hair accumulated a lot of water and began dripping onto his nose. Even though the agent was extremely pale, with deep shadows around his eyes, he was still beaming at her.

Her smile suddenly vanished and she walked over to him, "what happened to you?" She looked at the plaster, which failed to cover up the three large, deep and nasty gashes on his forehead.

"Eh?" He watched her gently brush her thumb below the cut, "Oh, that."

"Where have you been for the past two days?"

"I was... um…" he stared into her chocolate brown orbs, filled with a mixture of delight and concern. Almost as though she was happy to him. "Don't worry. It's nothing interesting anyway."

"But-"

"I got something for you." Jellal interrupted, holding out a bag, "I bought it this afternoon at the bakery."

Lieutenant looked at it quizzically, "what is it?"

He chuckled and took hold of her hand; guiding her back to the bed and sitting her down. "Open it and enjoy, Scarlet." He spoke softly, taking a seat next to her.

Erza looked into the bag and saw a box. She reached in, took it out and observed it thoroughly. It wasn't small, nor was it big. It wasn't light but rather heavy. She turned back to the blue-haired man; his eyes were scintillating, even in the somber, dim light. Urging her to open the box and see what's within.

Slowly, lieutenant removed the tape from the flaps and opened it, revealing the content inside. She gasped, her eyes glistened with felicity, "Jellal…" she whispered, gaping at the plump, red strawberries nestled on the velvety, soft whipped cream, which settled on top of a perfectly baked vanilla sponge. She felt herself drooling at the magnificent sight of the exemplary cake that sat on her lap.

"Are gonna eat it?" He held out a fork to her, "or, are you just gonna stare at it all day?"

"Why..." she trailed off, taking the piece of cutlery from his hands, "why a Strawberry cake?"

"Because, I remembered how much you loved it." He smiled warmly at her, "every time I see one, it reminds me of you."

"R-really?" She stuttered, her cheeks starting to redden.

The ultramarine giggled, finding her expression really adorable. "You're cute when you blush, Erza." The complement forcing her to blush an even darker shade of red, rivaling her hair.

She gulped and averted her gaze from him, "uhhh..." she murmured. She felt the bed shift slightly and turned back to the blue-haired man, who was starting to make his way to the door.

"I must be on my way now, Scarlet."

Without thinking, lieutenant grabbed his hand, making him turn to look at her, "Don't go..." she pleaded and released his hand. "I haven't got anyone to share the cake with."

Jellal looked at the cake, and then back to her. "well..."

"Please!"

"Very well." The man nodded and took his place next to her, "but, I'm not really that hungry."

"It's not healthy if you don't eat anything." Erza stabbed her fork into the innocent cake and held it to his lips, "open wide."

"No," he took her hand, moved it towards her and slipped the piece of cake into her mouth, "You take the first bite."

She chewed it slowly, "It's amazing." she mumbled, "Here, you should try it."

"I'm fine." he shook his head, "so, do you remember anything after I left, a few days ago?"

"All I remembered was your last name," she looked at him, "Fernandes. Jellal Fernandes."

The agent felt his heart warmed with those words, "My... Name?"

"I think it's a beautiful name. Maybe that's one of the reasons why I remembered it," she smiled and watched as the bluenette's face reddened. "Gray also told me this morning that you and I were close childhood friends."

"He did?"

"Is it true?" she asked, expecting him to say yes.

"It is," he replied, "you weren't just my close childhood friend. But, you were my only friend when I was a little boy."

"I was your only friend?"

"Yes," he sighed and looked out the window, "as a nine-year-old boy, I was distant and quiet. I was always on my own and never wanted to speak to anyone. I didn't have any friends, nor did I wanted to make any. But, before I met you, there was one person I always spoke to and depended on."

"who?"

"My little sister, Levy Fernandes. But now, Levy Redfox..."

"Tell more about you." Lieutenant shoveled more cake into her mouth, "I want to know more."

He stared at her, "there's nothing interesting about me."

"How did I meet you?" She questioned, "I wanna know how we became friends."

"We met… almost twenty-one years ago." He began, "because my mother and father split up, and my father hated me; my mother and I moved out, leaving my little sister with my father."

She snuggled closer to him, "what happened after?"

"We moved to Rosemary state." He explained, "that's when I met you."

"What was I like?"

"At first, you were a bit stubborn..."

Erza punched his arm lightly, "hey!"

"Ouch!" He winced, pretending it hurts, making her laugh. "Once I got to know you, You was actually a sweet, young girl. Always looking out for other people. You were the first person I befriended as a child." He looked at her softly, "you showed me a whole different world, and taught me the true meaning of friendship. Made me the person I am today."

"I really did that?" Lieutenant leaned against his chest and looked down at her half eaten cake, "I never knew…"

"You were an amazing person, young Scarlet. Everybody loved you."

"Did something happen?"

"Five years after meeting you... When my mother passed away…"

* * *

**19 years ago…**

Erza poked her out of the tree, "Jellal, I finally found you!" She cheered happily, running towards the blue haired boy, sitting beside the River. "Where were you for the past week?! I was worried sick!" When he turned to face her, the girl stopped running and stared at him.

His face was flushed- his tattoo almost invisible- and stained with un-shed tears. His eyes were bloodshot from the pain of the previous events. Tears streamed down his cheeks. Like fountains; his eyes filled with even more tears.

Like rain in the autumn, his eyes poured out all his agony. The area around his swollen eyes darkened because of the tears that never seemed to stop. The scarlet haired girl felt her heart sink into the deep pits of her stomach. Never has she seen this side of him before. He looked so scared. Helpless. Frightened.

"Jellal…" she threw her arms around him and pulled him into a tight embrace, "please, don't cry!"

"Erza," he sobbed, "I'm sorry for leaving you like that."

"Stop crying, Jellal." She pulled her head back and wiped the tears from his face, "what happened?"

"Nothing." He lied, forcing himself to smile, "I'm okay."

Her gaze hardened as she watched his wobbly smile turn into loud sob. She cupped his face, "there's definitely something wrong. You know you can tell me anything."

_My mother passed away…_

"No," he gasped, "there's nothing wrong."

"Jellal-"

_And, my Father's abusive.…_

"Erza, I'm fine…" his voice suddenly broke off and he buried his face into the crooks of her neck, "as much as I want to, I'm not allowed to tell you..."

"Why not?"

"Because he'll know."

"Who?!" She asked, " who'll know?!"

_My father..._

"I can't..." he murmured, gently pushing her away, "otherwise, he'll hurt you too."

"Jellal, please tell me what's wrong." Erza begged, her lips starting to tremble, "I might be able to help!"

He glanced at her, wiping his face, "do me a favour, young Scarlet."

She pulled a brave face, "Anything."

_Please, help me..._

The ultramarine walked over to her and took her chin, grazing his nose with hers. "Go home."

She closed her eyes and shook her head, "I'm not leaving you. I want to help."

"You are helping me," he whispered, "I just don't want you to be involved in any of this."

"But-"

He interrupted her by gently placing both hands on either side of her neck and tilting her head up, "let me look at those beautiful eyes of yours." He released her neck and twirled a lock of hair between his fingers, "Scarlet... a color I'll never forget."

Erza watched him slowly let go of her. He looked down at the floor and bit his lip, "Jellal?"

"I'm sorry..." he shook his head, "I was thinking." He smiled slightly and turned away, "I must go now... Take care, Erza."

Erza felt a silent tear trickle down her cheek. The look in the boy's eyes killed her inside. Jellal has never shed tears before; seeing him like this was too painful for the girl to handle. What was happening? Will he be okay?

Concurrently, Jellal stepped into the house and headed to his room. Suddenly, he heard screaming from the living room and raced back downstairs. His blood boiled in his veins when he saw his father screaming at his little sister.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING, LEVY?!" his father roared.

Levy started shaking, "I didn't do anything, father!"

Jellal screamed and smashed into his father, pushing him away from his little sister, "Levy didn't do anything!" He cried, tears falling from his eyes, "it was me!"

"Jellal!" Father clenched his fist in anger, "you always were a mistake in my life."

"Shut your mouth!" The bluenette hissed, shielding the young girl behind him. He took in a breath through his nose, inhaling the scent of alcohol. Just as he thought: their father's drunk again. "Leave her alone..."

"Big brother..." Levy wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face into his back, "don't... he'll hurt you!"

"No wonder mother left you!" Jellal growled, feeling Levy's tears soak his shirt. His anger began consuming him. He didn't know what words were tumbling out his mouth and to be honest, he didn't really care. All he cared about was the only true family he got left; his sister. "You were always drunk and beating her! And when you wake up in the morning, you always forget! That's the thing that hurts me the most! The fact that you forget the scars and bruises you inflict on us!"

His father forcefully grabbed Jellal's hair and yanked him towards him. The boy cried out in pain and tried to free himself from his father's grip, "how dare you speak to me like that!" he bellowed, "I'm am your father and you must treat me with respect!"

"your not my fath-" before he could finish, his father slammed his fist into his stomach. The blue haired boy winced and coughed up blood.

"BIG BROTHER!" Levy cried. Before she could reach the boy, father grabbed her shirt, "Let me go!"

"This boy deserves punishment, don't you think?"

"NO!" She begged, "Don't hurt my big brother!"

"Levy..." Jellal groaned, watching his father drag her out the room.

Levy thrashed around, trying to get out her Father's immense grip, "Father! Let me go!" He threw her and she hit the ground hard. "What are you going to do to him?!"

"Punishment." He grunted, his voice cold and emotionless.

She stood up and ran towards him, "don't!" She pleaded. But before she could reach the door, her father closed it. Minutes later, she could hear loud thuds and Jellal's cries of agony. The young girl screamed, slamming her tiny fist onto the door, "JELLAL!"

She sobbed loudly and walked backwards. Curling up into a ball in the corner, she covered her ears, hoping this was all a horrific nightmare. "Stop it!" She wailed, pressing her hands harder on her ears, "please..."

His screaming seized and all that could be heard was their father's footsteps. She heard the back door slam shut and immediately stood up. Opening the door, Levy ran into the room and over to her big brother, who was lying on his stomach. She gently shook him, "Jellal…" she whispered, "wake up!"

No answer.

"Jellal!" She turned him over and saw the cuts and bruises on his face, as well as the ones on his arms. She buried her face into his chest "I'm sorry..."

"Levy." He grunted, opening his eyes, "no need to be sorry..."

"It's all my faut!" She clutched his shirt, "I done this to you."

"No you didn't Levy, I did this to myself." The bluenette groaned as he sat up, "we need to get out of here."

"What?"

He took hold of her hand, "I'm taking you to grandmother's house." The ultramarine pulled her out the house, "I can't let you live like this anymore."

Despite just taking a beating from their father, Jellal was still very powerful. Levy looked back at their house and then back to him, "Won't father know?"

"No, he won't." The two ran down the road, "once we get to her house, tell her about what happened with father."

"What about you?" She asked, watching Jellal's expression harden. "Brother?"

He closed his eyes and carried on running. Levy began slowing down, "Jellal, I don't think I could run much longer..."

The bluenette stopped and looked at her, "come on, I'll carry you."

"But, what about your bruises?"

"They don't hurt anymore. Now, come on." He crouched and felt Levy jump on his back. He winced and tried to ignore the pain shooting from the beating he endured.

"Big brother, you're hurt."

"Don't you worry, kiddo." He raced down the alleyway and then down the street, "we're almost there." Once the two got to the house, Jellal gently settled her down and wiped the tears from her face, "you okay?"

The blue haired girl nodded, "I'm fine..." she took hold of his hand, "will we stay here from now on?"

Jellal could feel his heart beginning to shred into a million pieces. He could feel his stomach churn, as he thought about what to tell her. "You are." He bowed his head to hide his pained expression, "I'm not…"

Her eyes widened, "what?" She demanded, "what are you talking about?!"

"This is the time where we both go our separate ways."

"But we've only been together for two days!" She sobbed, "I want to spend more time with you, big brother!"

"Levy, listen to me." He cupped her cheek, "I'm not leaving you because I want to. You'll be safe here. Nothing will bother you ever again."

"But-"

"I love you, Levy." He smiled sweetly and reached into his pocket; pulling out some candy, "here, eat it."

"I love you too, big brother…" Levy took the candy from his hand, "will we see each other again?"

"Of course we will." He kissed her forehead, "now, take care of yourself." He knocked and listened to the footsteps approaching the door, "this isn't goodbye, little sister. Don't forget, I will always love you." Before the door opened, Jellal gave his sister one last peck on the forehead and left. For the first time in the boy's life, he felt as though he was free from pain and suffering his father put him through. He looked down the empty boulevard, and didn't care where it took him.

* * *

"Levy never knew the real reason you left in the first place?" Erza asked, shoving the final piece of cake in her mouth.

"No..."

"Why did you leave?"

"Well, young Scarlet," he whispered, "I was afraid of becoming like my father…" The agent looked out the window, "I came back, six years later, just after they recruited me in the army. I looked for you and Levy. But, you guys were nowhere to be seen…"

"Jellal…" lieutenant whispered, "you've been through so much, and you don't let things like this bring you down."

"A wise person once told me: When life changes to be harder, change yourself to be stronger."

"Wow," the scarlet haired woman smiled and looked at her fork, "who said that?"

"You did."

"I did?"

The ultramarine nodded and stared at her, "Erza, you have a bit of.."

"What?"

He lifted his hand and wiped the whipped cream off her cheek, "I wonder how the hell did that get there." He chuckled. They didn't realize their faces moved slightly closer to each others.

"Thanks..." she whispered, moving her face slightly closer to his; taking in his strong scent of aftershave. She closed her eyes, feeling his breath fan her lips.

BEEP!

Erza jolted back and blushed furiously. Jellal smiled sheepishly and chuckled, "forgive me..." he murmured, looking down at his phone. Suddenly, his smile disappeared and he stood up, "I need to take this call."

"Uh... sure." She stammered, turning bright red again.

The blue haired stood up and pressed his phone to his ear, "I was wondering when you'll call back."

"I had stuff do to..." the voice hissed.

"First you kill my sister and her husband. Then, you killed my friend, Erik. Now, you've abused Erza to the point where all her memories have disappeared." Jellal spoke coldly, sending shivers up Erza's spine.

"I warned you, Fernandez. You know very well that when you break the rules; punishment must be served."

"You should have punished me." He growled, "instead, you choose to punish my friends."

"It looks like their punishment has taken a toll on you. But, it's your fault. You didn't follow the rules."

"Let me tell you something; I play the game the way I wanna play it."

"But-"

"Shut up and let me continue." The bluenette interrupted, "from now on, I make up my own rules and play this so called 'game' my way. If you don't like it, then, sucks to be you."

"You don't know what you're doing, Fernandez." The voice reasoned, "do you not realize how dangerous I am?"

"That's the thing, you're not dangerous." The agent grinned, "you use the fear of other people to manipulate them. Like what you did to your partner in crime. You threatened him to join you, and made him kill people he didn't know."

"..."

"You can't hide anything from me." The ultramarine justified, "I want you to think about the game you put yourself into. Because, you've picked the wrong person to play with." He finished, putting down the phone. He turned to Erza and smiled, his gaze softening "work difficulties..."

"Oh…" she murmured, "you're kinda scary when you speak like that."

His smile widened, "I'm sorry for freaking you out." He mumbled. Erza laughed and shook her head. A laugh that melted his heart.

Suddenly, his phone rang again. Erza watched his face tense and his fist clenched, "you better answer that..."

Abruptly, the bluenette grabbed reached into his, gripping the dear life out of his phone, "I swear! If you're calling me to discuss what happened a few minutes ago, and the fact that you're going to kill another person. I DON'T GIVE A FUCK! If you call me again, I'm gonna skin you alive, and-"

"Jellal, that's disgusting..." came Gray's voice from the other side.

Jellal stopped screaming and felt his face heating up. He relaxed his shoulders and gulped, "uhh… that wasn't me."

"Okay..." Gray spoke nervously, "you're frightening when you scream, you know that?"

"Thanks…" he pouted, looking at Erza who was giggling at his childish face. "Did you get anything?"

"Yes." Gray's voice was cheerful, "I've got good news and bad news."

"What's the good news?"

"I was researching the names you've given me a few days ago." He explained, "and, one of them was in a gang involving Simon Mikazuchi. Her name is Mary Hughes. However, the gang was separated a few years ago and most of the members don't live in Fiore now."

"Your point?" Jellal asked, sitting down next to Erza.

"Well, I've found out that one of the members still live in Fiore. We could ask her questions about Simon."

"Maybe, she would know who the other killer is!"

"But, she's in Sabertooth police departing. Severing eight years for the selling of illegal weapons."

"So?" Jellal asked, "let's go!"

"We have a problem though…" the inspector whispered, "we can't get into Sabertooth. They don't like sharing their stuff with other departments... This means, we can't speak to Mary."


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey, everyone! Another chapter I ****decided to post; since I**** love you guys!**

**I hope you enjoy!**

**Chapter 12: Prison break**

* * *

"What's the plan, Ultear?" Natsu asked, looking at the raven haired woman sitting opposite him.

"If we can't get into Sabertooth police department..." Ultear trailed off, "Then, we can't talk to Mary."

"And, if we can't get to Mary, we can't get the evidence." Lucy sighed.

"No evidence means: we can't prove that Simon did it," Gray spoke coldly, looking his colleagues sitting around a large table in the conference room.

Ultear frowned, "How do we know that one of the killers is Simon?"

"He's got the perfect Alibi." Juvia reminded, "Also, he's the only person that has a key to Erza's house."

"That's a good point..." Lucy murmured, "Because when me, you and Jellal processed the evidence in her house; we didn't find any forced entry."

"Those are very good points," the raven haired woman pursed her lips, "But, without evidence, we can't specifically prove that he was there at the time," she crossed her arms, glaring at the images in front of her, "We're hopeless without evidence... The only person that could help us is Erza. But, she has no memory of who she is; let alone the attack."

Gray let out a sigh of disappointment and pinched the bridge of his nose, "Dammit!" he growled, "These killers are good..."

Lucy looked over at Jellal: who was sitting in silence, eating his pizza. "What do you think, Jellal?"

"How the hell did you get pizza?" Ultear asked, "It's one o'clock in the morning..."

Th bluenette shrugged and carried on eating.

"Jellal," Gray said firmly, "What have you to say?"

He looked over at his friends and swallowed his pizza, "I think, you're all panicking too much." he stood up and pranced over to the whiteboard, "We need to focus on how to get the evidence, people."

"That's what we're doing..." Gray prompted.

"Ah!" the bluenette clicked his finger, "We're not thinking hard enough." He picked up a marker and began drawing on the board, "Gray, you told me that there was a gang Simon was a part of, correct?"

"yeah...?"

"We know that Miss Mary Hughes had a role in this gang. Which means that she'll be able to help us gather enough evidence to arrest Simon for first-degree murder. Also, I believe that his partner was a part of the gang. He might be close to Simon during their 'gang' years."

"But we can't speak to her. She's in Sabertooth police department's prison."

"We can." The ultramarine justified.

Everyone exchanged confused looks. Jellal's definitely lost his mind. "How...?" Juvia asked.

"well," he started, "Gray said police officers aren't allowed inside."

"And he's right..."

"What if..." Jellal murmured, "It was a criminal?"

The room immediately fell silent. It took everyone a while to process what the agent just said. Lucy was first to speak.

"What do you mean?"

"If one of us disguises as a criminal, we'll be able to get into the prison, find Mary and speak to her." he elucidated, looking the dazed faces around the room, "We'll easily get our evidence."

"You're crazy." Natsu chuckled, "won't our police reputations be jeopardized?"

"Pinky's right..." Gray mumbled, "I mean, have you seen the criminals in that prison?"

"If you're not doing it," Jellal smirked, "I'll go."

Ultear turned to face him and shook her head, "No you're not!"

Jellal pouted, "Why not?"

"Look at yourself!" she commanded, "You're injured and it looks like you haven't slept for over three days!"

The bluenette reached up to the cuts on his forehead, "I don't care if I'm not in a suitable condition." his voice was low and serious.

She flinched at the sudden change in his state of mind. "You're killing yourself, Jellal," she spoke softly, "This isn't good for you. You just returned from Minstrel, and I don't know what happened over there," she gently pulled his collar down to reveal more cuts and open wounds the base of his neck, "By the looks of it, things didn't go down well..."

The agent pushed her hand away, "I appreciate your concern, Ultear." he turned to his friends, "But, Erza's counting on us to find these people, and I'm willing to do anything in my power to help her."

Despite resisting the urge to do so, Gray nodded his head in agreement, "I agree."

Lucy bit her lip, 'Jellal's already injured... How will Erza feel if something awful happens to him during his time in that prison?' she thought, doubting the fact that Jellal could walk out that prison alive, 'What if they do something terrible to him? She'll be very upset...'

"I agree." Natsu acknowledged.

"Natsu!" Lucy gasped, "Do you not realize the amount of danger we're putting Jellal through?"

"Gray," Juvia spoke, "Lucy's right. Once he's in the prison, he's on his own. And, if something happens to him, we won't be able to help."

"At least there's two people with brains in this room..." Ultear grumbled.

Gray and Natsu bowed their head down, "We're sorry Jellal..." the pinkette whispered, "They're right."

The bluenette sighed, "So, we're just gonna give up?" he asked, making everyone look at him, "I don't care if I'm at the verge of death. My sister and most of my friends- including Erik, are dead because of my stupidity."

"Jellal-"

"no," he interrupted, "My foolishness has led my childhood best friend to forget all her memories: apart from my name," his words were powerful as they tumbled out his mouth, "I want to make my name worth remembering for her. I can't do that if I sit in my office and sulk all day." He exhaled sharply, "Erza's the first friend I ever made, I don't want to lose her... I already lost my sister... My friends... My comrades..."

Lucy placed a hand over her aching heart. His words were touching, and his love for the lieutenant shattered the doubt the blonde had for him. "In that case," she whispered, "I agree with you.

"Me too," Juvia said boldly.

Ultear's face softened and she nodded slowly, "very well..."

The blue haired man's eyes lightened up and he turned to the two men, "What do you guys think?"

Gray did a thumbs up, "I have faith in you. I'm sure Erza does as well."

The pinkette grinned widely, "Now I'm fired up!

The bluenette smiled, "Great!" he cheered, "I always wanted to play prisoner..."

* * *

"Jellal?" Lucy asked, walking into his office. The man turned around and now his shirt was off, the blonde was able to see how much damage was done to him. "What on earthland happened to you?"

The bluenette attached something to his chest and looked at the laceration on himself. "These?" he asked "they're nothing special."

"They look very painful."

He pulled a shirt over his head, "They're not really as painful now." he peeled off the plaster on his forehead, and then brushed his thumb below the gash, wincing at the pain erupting from it, "I've gotten used to it."

"how did you get them?"

"It's an incredibly long story." he replied, staring out at the rising sun.

"Oh yeah, Erza's being discharged from hospital today."

"she is?"

"Yeah." Lucy smiled, "The doctors said she's well enough to leave, and she's staying over at my place. Instead of going back to her home."

"She's going home with you?" Jellal questioned.

"Is that okay?"

"I don't mind..." he murmured, slightly disappointed, "as long as she's safe."

"Don't worry," she assured, "i'll take care of her."

"JELLAL!" Natsu screamed, busting into the room, followed by Gray, Meredy and Ultear. "What's the plan?!"

"It's really simple." he started, watching Meredy apply makeup to his face to cover up his tattoo. "I'll find a way to get myself arrested. But, we'll stand in front of the Sabertooth police department, and wait for the police officers to come out the building." Once the tattoo was covered up, she put some contact lenses into his eyes, followed by an invisible earpiece. "They're gonna arrest me and then, i'll be put into prison. During lunch, when all the prisoners come together, I'll look for Mary and we'll talk."

"We'll be able to record anything she says via the ear piece."

"Aren't you nervous?" Gray asked, "And if you are, won't your nervousness make you look suspicious?"

"They've s harness to me, which monitors my heartbeats." Jellal showed them the harness on his chest, "If my heartbeats are too high, it'll inject something into me, to slow it down."

"I never knew shit like that existed."

"welcome to the future Mr Fullbuster." The blunette laughed. "How do i look?"

Natsu looked at his face, without the tattoo and different colored eyes, he didn't look like the same person he was a few seconds ago, "Not like Jellal."

"Good."

"How are you gonna get out the department once you're done?" Lucy queried.

Jellal smiled broadly, "I have a fun trick up my sleeve..."

* * *

"HEY YOU!" a blonde haired police officer with a scar on the right side of his forehead screamed. He nodded at his black haired companion, and the two quickly made their way to Jellal and Gray.

"The plan's working..." Gray whispered, watching the two officers approach them. "What if they arrest the wrong person?"

"They won't." the bluenette looked at the inspector, "Forgive me for doing this..." Before the raven haired man could answer, the agent threw a punch at him; which connected with his stomach.

Gray gasped and clutched his stomach in pain, watching the officers tackle Jellal to the ground. As much as he wanted to beat up the people holding him down to ground, he remembered their mission and stopped himself from doing so. "be careful Jellal..."

The black haired officer held out his hand to him, "Hey," he murmured. "need some help?"

"Sure." he took his hand, and the officer pulled him up to his feet. He turned to the blonde haired officer, who pulled Jellal roughly to his feet.

"Rogue," the blonde grinned, pulling down Jellal's hood, "looks like we got ourselves a bluenette."

"What's your name?" Rogue asked, "He looks a bit like that Jellal guy from the secret services. Doesn't he Sting?"

"Oh yeah... He does." Sting looked at the ultramarine closely, "He doesn't have that tattoo thingy on his face, and Jellal's got hazel eyes. He's got Blue eyes."

"Blue eyes, blue hair?" Rogue chuckled, "how strange."

Sting pulled out a pair of handcuffs, and cuffed Jellal's hands together. "Come on." he tightened it.

Jellal looked at Gray, who was looking back at him with a shocked expression. 'Don't worry,' his eyes spoke, 'I'll be fine.'

The blonde yanked at his cuffs, and he growled in pain. "Hurry up," he hissed coldly, "I ain't got all day."

"Are you okay, mate?" Rogue asked, looking at the raven haired man. He noticed his face turned very pale. "Sir?"

The inspector didn't answer him, as if his brain short-circuited and needed to be rebooted. 'What have i done?" he thought, watching officer Sting push Jellal towards the department, 'Erza's gonna kill me.'

* * *

Sting guided Jellal, who was now wearing his prison uniform, consisting of an orange jumpsuit and a navy blue shirt beneath it- to his cell.

The bluenette looked around the prison. It's pretty clean for a jail; comparing to the one he was imprisoned in during his time in the army. He cringed as he remembered how many people bled to death beside him and how many dead bodied rotted with him in that cell.

"Here." the blonde opened the cell door, "we'll call you out for lunch in a few hours."

"Thanks..." the agent murmured, walking into the cell. It was pretty small, yet it was very welcoming. The walls were painted white and glistened as the sunlight filtered through the glass, which was made with arsenic trisulphide. There was a small bed attached to the wall on the right side, and a metal toilet parallel to it. "This actually not as bad as i thought." he whispered, sitting on the bed.

_"How are you doing in there, Jellal?"_ Gray asked through his invisible earpiece.

"I'm cool." he lay back, and placed his hands behind his head, "It's pretty nice here."

_"Is it really?"_

"hmm." he hummed, closing his eyes. "Got any news for me?"

_"yeah,"_ Gray chuckled, _"That was a pretty good punch you threw earlier."_

"I'm sorry if it hurts."

_"Naaa. I'm fine. By the way, I was quiet scared, thinking about what will happen to you."_

"Meh," the bluenette huffed, "I'm used to the beating, I've endured so much of it that i don't feel as much pain..."

_"What did they do to you in the army?"_

"What are you talking about?"

_"Erza told me so much about you when we were in middle school. She kept talking about, even when we went to college."_ Gray explained, _"She told me you were a bright and happy person. Hearing the amount of things you've been through made me think that Erza was talking about a completely different person."_

"It wasn't just the army, Fullbuster..." Jellal sighed, "It was practically my whole life. Ever since my father became an alcoholic, life has been such a struggle for me, and Erza never knew about what happened to me when i suddenly disappeared at the age of eleven..."

_"I'm sorry to ask. I shouldn't be sticking my nose into other people's businesses."_

"It's fine. You were just curious."

There was a comfortable silence before the inspector spoke again, _"Jellal, there's someone here who's desperate to speak to you."_

"Put the person on the line." There was some shuffling and then silence. "Hello?"

_"Jellal? Is that you?"_ asked a warm and tender voice.

The bluenette's eyes shot open; he could recognize that voice anywhere. "Erza?" he felt his heart flutter in his chest as the woman on the other side of the earpiece started laughing, "I wasn't expecting you out of hospital so soon."

_"Did Lucy no tell you, I'm being discharged from hospital today?"_

"She did. But, i thought it was later on at night or something..." he smiled and closed his eyes again, "I'm glad you're finally out of that place. It's good to see that you're well, Scarlet."

_"I remembered something."_ Erza spoke firmly.

"You did?" the ultramarine asked, "What did you remember?"

_"It's got nothing to do with the murder or my attack..."_ she whispered,_ "It's our childhood together. I remembered the first time i met you and the day you left."_

When he heard the last part; all Jellal wanted to do was hide in a corner and never come out, "Erza, I'm sorry..."

_"There's no need to be sorry, Jelly."_ she murmured, _"I understand."_

"Thank you for understanding."

_"I recalled the day we sat on the riverside, hand in hand."_ she spoke softly, _"The sun was setting behind us and the warm breeze blew. Then, you started singing a song which comforted me. I can't remember what the lyrics are exactly..."_

_"Lay down your head_

_You're not alone_

_Anywhere you go, I follow_

_We are the children of the sun_

_That's all you need to know..."_

Lieutenant gasped, _"That'ts the song." she whispered, "You always used to sing that to me when I was upset."_

"I'll never forget this song..." he murmured, "It's because..."

_I love you..._

_"Because what?"_

"Because-"

"Hey, prisoner number 107894." Rogue stood in front of Jellal's cell, "time for lunch."

"I'll speak to you late, Scarlet." the ultramarine tried not to move his lips as much, "Put Gray back on the line."

_"But-"_

"Please, Erza." Jellal begged, "I promise, me and you will speak together soon."

_"Okay..."_ Erza sighed, _"Be careful, Jelly."_

"I will."

* * *

"Welcome to paradise, prisoner, 107894." Rogue gently pushed Jellal into the canteen.

The agent was welcomed with laser glares from other prisoners. He kept a stern expression, unfazed by the death stares the others were giving him.

"Looks like we have newbie." said a deep voice. Jellal turned around to see a large muscular man with green hair staring him down, along with other beefy men. They began cracking their knuckles. "What's your name, kid?"

The bluenette kept a straight face and didn't answer them.

"Do you not know who's boss around here?" the man asked, pointing to the officers outside the canteen, "You see those officers? They don't care if someone starts a fight. I can kill you right now and they probably wouldn't give a shit."

_"Jellal, just ignore them."_ Gray's voice came from the earpiece, _"They look like they could do some serious damage."_

The bluenette obeyed his friend and turned his back from them.

"I was talking to you, you blue haired freak." the green haired man hissed.

He stopped walking and turned to face him, his eyes narrowed and piercing the man's gray one. "What did you call me?"

"A blue haired freak." he mocked, and everyone around them began laughing at Jellal.

The agent turned as red as a tomato, anger radiated from him and he cracked his knuckles, menacingly. He felt an emotion so strong, so visible, yet to those who choose to see only what they want to, see only the burning flame in his eyes. "Shut up."

The green haired man stopped laughing and glared at him, "You're so gonna regret that..." he growled. The other men behind him beginning to gang up on the bluenette.

"No i'm not." Jellal grinned, amused by his angered expression.

The green haired man threw a punch at him. But the agent ducked quickly, swung around and kicked him hard in the stomach; he howled in pain and slammed into the wall. The other prisoners charged at the single bluenette, who smiled and slid hid left foot back.

_"Jellal, what the hell are ya doing?!"_

"Hey Gray," he whispered, throwing a punch that connected with the jaw of another person, the punch powerful enough to knock him out. "wait for a few minutes, will ya?"

Two more people charged towards him, their fist ready to plunge into his flesh. The agent grabbed the two and smashed their heads together; before slamming their body into another person pouncing on him from behind. The ultramarine slipped to the left, which threw the other prisoner off enough so that he could step inside the right cross and get a handful of his hair.

The agent pulled his head forward and head butted him, breaking his nose. He threw him on the ground and turned around, slapping his right palm down on the other man's face, shattering his nose. He looked at the final person running towards him; a big muscular man, with dark skin. Jellal slapped him with his left hand full across the face.

It rocked him and he took a step back, steadying himself. The man blinked and stared at him. His headache must have been very painful. Swiftly, Jellal stampeded towards him and jabbed him in the V under his ribs where the sternum ends. It paralyzed his breathing, he gasped and collapsed on the ground.

Jellal looked at the people who once stood before him; they were now laying on the ground, immobilized by the pain the agent inflicted upon them. " Pain is just an illusory sensation that makes your mind shut down. You guys must learn to deal with, it if you thinking picking on people like me is a good idea." he looked at the other people staring at him with wide opened mouths. The bluenette squinted slightly, looking at a woman with purple hair sitting in the corner of the canteen.

It was Mary.

He slowly made his way to her and sat down. "Mary Hughes?"

"What do you want?" she growled aggressively.

"I'm just curious as to your gang; Phantom Lord."

"That was ages ago, man."

"Do you know who Simon Mikazuhi is?"

"That son of a bitch is the reason why i'm in prison!" she roared angrily, "and, the reason the gang's been split up!"

"I guess we both share a mutual enemy..."

"Who are you anyway?" she asked, "Why do you wanna know about Simon?"

"If i tell you, you mustn't tell anyone."

"whatever."

The bluenette move a little closer to her, "I work for the the FTPD, and we're working on a murder case. We think Simon was the one that burnt down the department and murdered people." he explained, pulling out a packet of cigarettes, "We just need the evidence."

"I'll help you, as long as Simon gets the punishment."

"Deal." Jellal smirked and inhaled the fumes from his cigarette, "You're allowed to smoke in here, right?"

"Why not?"

"Good... Tell me more about Simon."

"I don't know anything about him. All i know is that he's an idiot and an annoying selfish bastard." Mary grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I think that's a lie." The blue haired man murmured, "I can tell by your posture. Fist clenched, as if you're ready to attack someone. Eyes narrowed all the time, scanning your field of vision for any suspicious behavior. A knife within your sleeve," he watched Mary gasp and retreat her arm, "to protect yourself from someone. It looks like Simon hurt you physically, as well as mentally."

"He did..." she whispered sadly, "He took away my dignity within the gang, and hurt my best friend: Coco..."

"I'm sorry to hear." the bluenette whispered softly, "I was wondering... was Simon close to anyone in particular?"

"Yeah. But, i didn't know his name."

"Fuck..." he cursed, throwing his cigarette on the ground.

"But, our gang leader knew everything about them."

"I need his name." Jellal spoke quickly, "is he still in Fiore?"

"Yeah," Mary answered, "He owns a Casino opposite the Magnolia town center; it's called Zentopia Casino. The man's name is Sugarboy, and he knows everything you need to know about Simon and his friend."

"Gray, I hope you're getting all this." Jellal whispered, making sure Mary didn't hear him.

"Yup." The inspector mumbled, "i got it all."

"Thank you, Mary." the ultramarine stood up and walked away from her, "Gray, I want you, Erza, Lucy, Ultear and Natsu in my office in an hour." he looked around the crowded cafeteria, "I'll see you there."

* * *

"Okay," Gray spoke, rushing to Jellal's office with Erza, Lucy and Natsu, "Jellal said he'll meet us in his office in a few minutes. Ultear said she'll be a little late because she's in a meeting with Makarov."

"Will he be okay, escaping the prison on his own?" Lucy asked.

"I'm sure he'll be fine." Natsu responded.

"If not, then we'll send back up unit to bust him out of-"

"Not necessary, Fullbuster." A new voice joined the conversation as they stepped into the bluenette's office, "Boy, you guys took your time."

Natsu's mouth fell to the ground and Gray's eyes popped out his head, "How did you get here so quick?"

"That's a secret, my friend." he turned to Erza, "It's good to see you, Scarlet."

Lieutenant flushed slightly, "You too."

"What now, Jellal?" Lucy asked.

"It's pretty obvious, isn't it?" The ultramarine wiped the make up off his face, and removed his contact lenses; wearing his signature smirk, "We go to the Casino and find Sugarboy."


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: I've read all your reviews and **i** couldn't be any happier! I love you all for favoriting, reviewing and following the story!**

**Here's the next chapter!**

**Chapter 13: Slightly out of hands...**

* * *

_Your life will be consumed by nothing but my pain and vengeance. Then, and only then will you understand what you have done to me._

Jellal sighed pulled his bulletproof vest over his head. He grabbed his shirt on the desk and buttoned it up.

"You better wear that tuxedo i brought you. Otherwise, I'll kill you." Ultear walked into his office, and sat on his desk. "oh yeah, What happened in Minstrel?"

"stuff..." the ultramarine collapsed in his seat and massaged the bridge of his nose, "It was hectic there. There was a large group of rebels trying to attack president Toma."

"Do you know why?"

"no," he kicked his legs up on the desktop and yawned, "Luckily, we didn't suffer any casualties."

"Jellal," the raven haired woman said sternly, "When was the last time you went to bed?"

"uh..."

"Sorry I'm late." Erza walked in and smiled at the two agents. She looked around, "Looks like Gray's not here yet?"

The bluenette opened his mouth to speak, nut nothing came out; he was too amazed by the scarlet haired woman's beauty to even say a word. His cheeks reddened as his eyes roamed around the dress she was wearing, which revealed much of her curvaceous body. The lustrous, pearl-beaded fabric of her dress glinted. It fitted her flawlessly, the dress molded her torso elegantly, complimenting her feminine shape. The gown draped past her right leg, exposing most of the creamy skin on her left leg.

It was purple; the color of amethyst, one reserved for those of royal blood. A color that emanates a mysterious feeling. The dress was strapless, which revealed most of her collarbone wrapped in soft, luring, skin. Jellal continued to stare at her with incredulous eyes.

Ultear noticed him staring and smirked, "Don't worry, Miss Scarlet. Gray will be here anytime soon." she turned to the flustered bluenette and punched him in the stomach. But winced, hitting his bulletproof armor.

Jellal noticed and burst out in uncontrollable laughter, making Erza turn to face him, "Looks like this armor isn't just bullet proof." he cackled, "it's Ultear-proof as well!"

Erza smiled at his childishness. Suddenly, her head began throbbing and a few fragmented memories came together like pieces of a puzzle. She shook her head to brush off the feeling and looked up at the bluenette who was still laughing.

"Ultear," he gasped, wiping the tears of laughter from his face, "that was pretty good one, wasn't it?"

The raven haired woman glared at him, "You're so immature." she growled, "And, you better get your tie on. Gray'll be here in a minute."

He watched Ultear storm out the room, and then turned to Erza, "Hey, what are you doing in a dress?" he asked, standing up and looking for his tie.

"I'm coming with you to the casino."

"What?" he stopped moving and looked at her "I'm not letting you, It's too dangerous."

"I don't care, I'm going." she narrowed her eyes at him, "I'm not staying put."

"You were attacked, Scarlet," he reminded, trying to tie a bow tie around his neck. "I'm not letting you get hurt again."

Lieutenant gently took his hands, "I'll do it." she spoke firmly, "I want to go. I promise I'll do anything you tell me to do."

"I don't know.." he watched her size the tie around his neck and crossed it over each other, "I just don't want to lose you again."

"lose me?" she questioned and tilted her head to the side. She looped the tie and tightened it a little, "you didn't lose me."

He looked at her guiltily, "You were in a coma for a few day..." he closed his eye to rid the painful memory, "I thought... I would never see you again... and, it was all my fault."

"Jellal," She looped the tie one more time and pulled at it; straightening it and then pulled down his collars. "Don't blame yourself..."

"Who's fault is it then, Scarlet?" he pursed his lips together, "I allowed you to walk into the depths of the unknown with me. And look what happened..."

"I chose to walk beside you." she justified, holding his face with both hands, "It's not your fault... please, don't blame yourself anymore."

"But, Erza-"

"no," she whispered, softly, bringing his face closer to hers, "don't"

The ultramarine closed his eyes and let his instinct take over; bringing his hands up to cup her cheeks. His breath mingled with hers, and his heart pounded rapidly in his chest. Lieutenant felt a ticklish sensation in her stomach and closed her eyes as well. Their noses almost touching and she could feel the warmth of his breath brushing the top of her lip.

"Terribly sorry for being late." Gray burst into the office, and Jellal immediately pushed Erza away from him. The raven haired man placed his motorcycle helmet on the desk, "The traffic was awful."

The ultramarine turned to the window, "traffic's always awful in Caelum..."

"Hey, Jell." Gray smirked, "nice tux."

"Thanks..."

"Erza." the inspector called, looking at her red face, "Did you sleep well at Lucy's house?"

"Yeah.."

He looked from the agent, back to the Lieutenant. "Are you guys okay?"

"I'm fine.." Erza murmured.

"Nice day today, isn't it?" the bluenette asked, changing the subject.

"indeed." Gray rolled his eyes, "so, what's the plan?"

"Well," Jellal turned to his desk and looked at the image of Sugarboy. "We'll go into the Casino. While, we're in there, I'll look for Sugarboy and you two will look for any other evidence," he explained, "but, we must be careful. The Casino is filled with gang members... They're probably armed. Take these." he threw a pistol over at Gray and Erza, "If the plan goes well, we probably wouldn't use 'em"

"And if it doesn't?"

"i don't know." Jellal shrugged, putting on his tailored jacket, "Natsu will keep an eye on us via the security cameras and the invisible earpiece."

"okay." Gray agreed, making his way to the door along with Erza and Jellal.

"And," he spoke again, turning to the two, "If i say run, You run. If i say get out, You guys have to get out. If I tell you to leave me behind and save yourselves, you do it. Okay?"

Gray nodded.

"Erza," the bluenette placed a hand on her shoulder, "You understand?"

"I do."

* * *

"Okay," Jellal walked to the Casino entrance, closely followed by Erza and Gray. "Like I said, No suspicious behavior," he reminded, lifting his hand up to his ear, "Natsu, Lucy. Do you copy?"

"Aye Sir." Natsu replied through the earpiece.

"Great." the agent smirked, turning to the two, "you guys ready."

They nodded, "So you're gonna find Sugarboy, while we look for more evidence?" Gray asked.

"Yup." he answered, "now, let's go."

Three entered the Casino and was surprised at how big the place was. There were bright lights everywhere, illuminating the green, wooden tables; where many people crowded around to watch the filthy rich gamble with all their money.

The casino was far from silent. The ringing from slot machine was almost deafening. From a far, Jellal saw a larger green table with dim neon lights hanging above it. Sitting in one of the seats around the table, was Sugarboy, surrounded by several women wearing skimpy dresses.

The bluenette grinned, and pulled out a pair of sunglasses, "it's show time."

Gray frowned and looked around, noticing Jellal disappearing on them, "Where's Jellal?"

"I don't know..." Erza murmured.

"uhhh..." he cleared his throat, "you wanna play some games?"

"Aren't we suppose to be working?"

"yeah..." he eyes the casino around him suspiciously and walked deeper inside it, Erza following walked past several slot machines and approached a roulette table.

"Did you guys find anything?" Natsu's voice came from the earpiece.

"no..." Erza stuck by Gray's side. "Jellal disappeared."

* * *

"Looks like another win for me." Sugarboy smirked, picking up all his opponent's chips. He turned to his bodyguards, "Get this worthless trash out of my sight." he chuckled, watching them grab his opponent and dragged him to the exit. The women around him began sneering at the other,"No one can beat me at my own game." he bragged, "I practically own it."

The people around the large table cheered for him. But, they stopped when two dices rolled on the table and landed on a six. They turned to the mysterious blue haired man who sat down at the table and grinned at them. "I'm here to be your opponent, Sugarboy."

The blonde smirked at him "I only play with the rich, my friend."

"rich?" the bluenette chuckled, and sat back in his chair. He lifted his hand and slowly opened his clenched fist; displaying the orange chips between his fingers, "Aren't the orange chips worth 10000J?"

Sugarboy's mouth dropped, "I might have underestimated you." he smiled and pulled down his sunglasses, "what is it that you want?"

He removed his sunglasses, exposing the maroon tattoo on the right side of his face, "I'm putting in 150 million jewls." he put down all his chips, "For information about Simon Mikazuchi."

The blonde stopped and looked at him, "Who the hell are you?"

Jellal lifted his hands and smiled, "I'm just a man looking for some answers."

He narrowed his eyes, "Isn't 150 million jewls your life savings?"

"nope." the ultramarine stared at him, "It's less than a quarter of what's in my bank. I can gamble with all the money i have if i wanted to."

"Are you that desperate to find out more about Simon?"

"Whatever it take."

"Okay," Sugarboy smirked, "Lets do this."

The dealer began shuffling the deck of cards. But, Jellal stopped him. "We'll use my deck."

Sugarboy laughed, "I don't care what deck we use." He mocked, "I'll win anyway! I'm the best at Texas hold'em poker!"

Jellal took out his deck of cards and began cutting it; flicking it from one hand to the other. "I hope your ready to play." he flipped a card over his thumb, and it landed perfectly on the top of the stack. "Because, i know i am."

"I'm born ready."

He handed the cards to the dealer. "So, Sugarboy." the bluenette started, "What did Simon do within your gang?"

"He was good at selling shit." the blonde looked at his cards, "He sold a heck of a lot of weapons."

"What did he sell?" Jellal asked, looking down at his hand. He looked back up at the dealer who began flipping the cards on the table.

"guns and that." he answered, looking at Jellal's poker face, "I put in 500,000 Jewls."

Jellal narrowed his eyes, "You're bluffing." he said blankly, "I put in 1 million Jewls."

"What?!" Sugarboy asked, his eyes widened, "fine!" he placed his cards on the table and pointed to the cards that were already on the table. Pointing out the five non-suited cards in sequence. "I got a straight."

"I've got a Full house." The bluenette placed his cards on the table. He pointed out three cards of the same rank, and two cards of a different, matching ranks, "I win."

"Impossible!" Sugarboy exclaimed, "Best out of two!"

"Very well." Jellal watched the dealer shuffle the cards. "Did Simon have a partner?"

The blonde looked at him angrily, "Of course he did." he snapped, looking down at his new hand, "He was good friends with a man named Jiemma."

The ultramarine gasped, that was the last piece of the puzzle he needed. 'Jiemma! It was obvious...' he thought, staring at him, "They were partners?"

"Duh?"

"Why didn't i see that before?" he muttered to himself, turning his gaze back to his cards. The dealer flipped the cards on the table.

"I put in all my money."

"in that case..." Jellal murmured, looking from the cards on the table- back to his hands, "I put all my money in."

Sugarboy slammed his fist onto the table, "I WIN!" he roared, showing his cards to him, and picking out four cards of the same rank, "I got a four of a kind!"

"I'm afraid not..." he said calmly, putting his cards on the table, revealing the ace, king, queen, jack and ten of a hearts. "Royal flush. I win."

"wha...?" the blonde gaped, the others around him did the same. "NO!."

The bluenette pushed himself away from the table and walked away from them; who were still staring at him with awe. "Thank you for the game. I'm sure you'll still have some money left after that." he mocked, "And, thank you for the information."

He stopped walking when he heard Sugarboy cock his gun. "Stop right there," the man growled, taking off the safety switch from the firearm. "Agent Jellal Fernandes."

Jella smirked and turned around, "I was wondering when you'll recognize me."

"I recognize you from the very beginning." he walked closer to him, "You're pretty famous, Jellal."

"Likewise."

"You're not leaving this place. You're dying here."

"I'm so scared." Jellal grumbled, unfazed by his threats.

Meanwhile, Gray noticed a large group of people surrounding one of the roulette table, "Erza, over there." The two stood up and made their way to the crowd; only to see Jellal standing with his hands in the air. The raven haired man face palmed, "He's such an idiot..."

"Why don't we settle this like real gentlemen?" the ultramarine asked. His eyes suddenly fixed on the scarlet haired lieutenant staring at him. His smile immediately faded, "Erza..." he murmured. Thinking fast, he kicked the table and use it as a shelter from the bullet firing at him.

"You baka!" Gray hissed, jumping out of the way and joining the blue haired man. Erza followed quickly. "You could have got yourself killed." he screamed, trying to make himself heard over the loud bangs of the multiple firearms, and the sound of people screaming.

"Meh." the ultramarine removed his tailored jacket and took out pieces of a carbine rifle. "Alright, i have a plan." he assembled his gun quickly and looked at them, "I'll act as a distraction, and you two must go back to HQ."

"But, you'll get killed!." Erza countered.

"We haven't got a choice!"

"Jellal, why can't you just take a minute and use your brain for once?"

"She's right, Jellal." Gray agreed.

He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, "because i don't want to keep making the same mistake..." he whispered, "Now, LET'S GO!" he pushed the two up and they ran for the exit; bullet flying past them, just about missing them. Jellal fired his gun, taking out many gang members with one blow.

Erza watched the bluenette shielded the shot that was meant for her. Her eyes widened completely as the details of the past were repeated again. Before she knew it, she was pushed out the casino by a strong force, and is now sitting on the ground, stunned at what just happened.

Gray pulled her up to her feet, "Erza," he looked at her closely. Thankfully, she didn't sustain any injuries. "Are you okay?"

"Where's Jellal?" she asked, ignoring his question. "Where the hell is he?"

"i don't know." the inspector admitted, "But, we have to get back to the TOH."

"NO!" she snapped, "We're not leaving him!"

"We have to follow his orders!"

"But, He's in trouble!"

He grabbed her shoulder and looked intensely into her eyes, "Erza, I want to help him too." he spoke softly, "But, we have to listen to him. We have to trust him."

* * *

"He's not here." Gray mumbled, looking around Jellal's office.

"Will he be okay?" Erza asked.

"What happened back there?" Lucy asked, joining the two, "Where's Jellal?"

"We don't know."

Ultear walked into the office, "What the hell happened to Jellal?"

"Is he okay?" the third grade detective asked.

"What will happen to him?" Lieutenant asked.

"Since when did my office become a mother meeting?" asked a voice.

Erza looked up at the blue haired man standing at the door with his arms crossed. "Jellal!" she cried, jumping on him.

"Hello, Scarlet." he greeted.

Gray let out a sigh of relief, "You look like hammered shit."

Jellal embraced the scarlet haired woman, "well, don't we all?" he chuckled.

"She released him, "I thought you were never getting out of there."

"yeah!" Gray yelled "How the fuck did you get outta there?"

"Another one of my little secrets."

"What did you find out?" Ultear and Lucy asked in perfect synchronization.

"I haven't got time to explain." he spoke quickly, walking to his seat and falling into it. "Lucy, can you and Natsu find where Simon is?" he turned to Gray, "can you and Juvia find some Intel about a guy named Jiemma Orlando." then, to Ultear, "Can you order me some pizza? I'm starving."

With that, the three left Erza to be alone with him. She watched him peel off his shirt and then his bullet proof armor. She caught a glimpse of the bruise on his chest. "Jellal," she murmured, forcing him to look at her, "I remember something..."

The bluenette placed his chin on his palms, "What was it?"

Erza was just about to answer when Ultear walked back into the office. "Jellal, I remembered that you have a meeting with the senior advisers for the president and the president himself in fifteen minute."

"Cancel it." he spoke clearly, "I'm a little busy."

Ultear nodded and left.

"Jellal, That sounded really important."

"I don't care." he reached out and held her hands, "you're more important to me. Now, tell me what you remembered."

Lieutenant flushed at his words, "The dance."

"The dance?"

"yeah," she looked at him, and quirked a brow, "President Toma's daughter's party... You saved me, like what you did today." she frowned and shrugged, "But, that's all i could remember.."

"That's the thing with Hysterical amnesia." he explained, "They don't last long. But, your memories come back in small fractions and you need to out them together. Kind of like a jigsaw puzzle."

Awkward silence descended upon the two. Erza shifted uneasily and turned her gaze from him.

"Jellal," she whispered, "I need to tell you something..."

"What is it?"

"I don't know if it's real, but i feel like there's someone following me."

"in that case, i'm hiring securit-"

"no," she interrupted, "I just needed to tell someone... and, you're the person i trust the most."

"But, Erza-"

"I don't want my freedom deprived from me."

"anything for you, scarlet." he smiled softly and scribbled some numbers onto a piece of paper, "If anything happens, just call me."

"okay."

"you want me to drop you off at Lucy's?"

"I'm fine."

* * *

Erza looked at her phone, walking down the empty boulevard. She typed in Jellal's number and hovered her fingers over the call button; tempted to call him. She dropped her hand to her side.

_He probably doesn't love me the way I love him..._

She picked up her phone, and then put it down. "I'll probably just waste his time..." she murmured to herself.

Leaves began rustling and she stopped, turning around. Footsteps could be heard and she froze on the spot. She raced down the street and rammed her way through Lucy's house.

The stalker began banging on the door and Erza gulped; Fear beginning to paralyze her.

* * *

"Jellal!" Natsu roared, busting through the door of his office, "I have some info about Simon!"

The bluenette snored softly.

"Jellal?" the pinkette asked, walking over to him. He poked him and he groaned in his slumber. "JELLAL!"

The agent carried on sleeping, undisturbed by the salamander's screaming.

Suddenly, his phone began ringing, and he jolted upwards, "WHAT THE FUCK JUST HAPPENED?!" he screamed, grabbing Natsu by his shirt, "You better not have eaten my pizza!"

"You're phone, mate." the pink haired man pointed to his ringing phone.

"Oh, sorry." he released him and picked up his phone, "Fernandes."

"Jellal..." Erza's voice was weak and vulnerable, making every muscle in the bluenette's body tensed.

"Erza!"

"Please help me..."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14: Pain...**

* * *

Erza?" Jellal asked, gently knocking in the door, "Erza, it's me: Jellal."

There was some shuffling, then the door opened. Erza appeared; her face was pale with fright and her hands were shaking. "Yo-"

The bluenette cut her off by wrapping an arm around her waist, pushing her back into the house and slamming the door behind them. "Did he do anything to you?" He asked, pressing a hand to her forehead. He narrowed his eyes, examining her closely. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm okay..." she replied, blushing madly at their position. "I was just slightly frightened and, I thought he would bust through the doors and attack me..."

"I wonder why he decided to back down..?" He cupped her cheek, "did you get a look at the guy's face?"

"No…" Erza shook her head, "it was too dark, and he was wearing a hood."

"I wonder why he would just abandon his task..."

"He must've heard me talking in the phone to you."

"Maybe he's still here." The bluenette reached to grab a gun from his belt; he removed the empty magazine and replaced it with a new one. "Stay close." He ordered, opening the front door; feeling Erza grip his shoulder tight. He took out a flashlight and held it below his firearm.

Lieutenant felt the muscles in his upper back tense as they slowly walked around the perimeter Lucy's house. "Jellal," she whispered, "you don't have to do this for me... We can just leave this..."

"Usually, I would." He stopped, accepting the fact that the stalker got away. "But now, I have the person I want to protect; that's you, Scarlet."

"Jellal..."

The agent slid his gun back into his belt and studied the area around them thoroughly. He sniffed the air deeply and looked down at the ground; finding a large boot print on the earth. "Well, look what we have here." He dropped to his knees and rubbed his finger, feeling the wetness of the dirt.

"Did you find something?" Lieutenant asked.

"Hmmm… judging by the dampness of the earth, and the depth of the print; this was made by a large person. But, not enough to be heavier than Simon." He looked at the direction of where the print was pointing, and then to the sky, "also, the stalker ran off that way: due north."

"You got that much from the print?"

"Well, the foot points to that direction; indicating that's the direction our stalker ran off in."

"How'd you know he headed north?"

"If you look up," The ultramarine pointed to the sky, "that constellation over there is called the big dipper. The two stars at the outer edge of the constellation are parallel to the north star; which is always facing due north."

"That's really interesting." She nodded her head, impressed by his amazing perception.

"Hang on a minute..." He murmured, picking up his phone, "Gray."

"Jellal," inspector spoke gruffly, "is Erza okay?"

"She's fine." He responded, "I need you to do me a favor."

"Shoot."

"I want you to send K9 units around a 5-mile radius from Lucy's home." He looked to the footprint, "and, we're looking for a man weighing 170lbs and around 5'9."

"Roger."

Jellal looked up at Erza; who was walking back into the house. Quickly, he grabbed her hand, "and, where do you think you're going?"

"I'm going back to Lucy's."

"No, you're not." He said simply, "you're coming back with me. Where you'll be safe."

* * *

"Hey."

Lieutenant looked up, "oh, Gray." She smiled and walked beside him.

"I heard about what happened last night." he wrapped an arm around her, "I hope you're okay now."

"I'm okay, Gray." the scarlet haired woman flushed slightly, "Jellal let me stay at his house."

"Are you planning to stay with him from now on?"

"Umm... I don't know..."

"You should," the inspector murmured, "He's a good guy, and he'll protect. With him, nothing will be able to touch you."

Erza stopped dead on her tracks, looking at Jellal's office; the blinds on his office windows have been pulled down and two security guards stood in front of the door. "Were those people there before?"

"What's going on?" Gray asked, looking at the security guards. "Who are you people?"

"JELLAL!" Natsu screamed and ran towards his office. Erza grabbed his shirt, stopping him. "Erza? Since when did you get your strength back?"

"Could you not see the two guards in front of the door?" she asked, releasing the pinkette.

"I thought they were manikins," the detective laughed, watching Lucy approach them.

"you're an idiot, you know that?" the raven haired man growled.

"What did you call me, Stripper?"

"You heard me, flame brain!"

"I'm gonna beat the shit outta you!"

"Bring it on you-"

Lieutenant slapped the two in the face, "Could you guys stop fighting?" she hissed, "There's something going on in that office, and it seems important."

The two rubbed their red cheeks, "Aye!"

"Wow, Erza." Lucy chuckled, "Looks like you still got it in ya."

Erza quirked a brow, "What are you talking about?"

"you're still rea-"

"You guys should pipe it down."Ultear joined the four, "There's a really important meeting happening in there."

"What's it about?" Gray and Natsu asked in perfect synchronization.

"I don't know," the woman snapped, "Jellal is a very busy man. He's been asked to do something by the president."

"The president?!"

* * *

"so, Jellal," a black haired man said, looking over at the bluenette. "What have you to say?"

Jellal slowly opened his eyes, "Well Lahar, I'm sure the Pergrande Kingdom is planning something." he spoke, "I mean, their kingdom consists of just Minstrel. After returning from there, I can tell that there's some tension between us. Especially when that group of rebels attacked us, and the threats we've been receiving from them."

"What do you think they're planning?" President Toma asked.

"I'm not sure."

"Do you reckon it's a concern?" Lahar joined in. "They might be planning something dangerous."

"I got Doranbolt to go undercover for me," Toma explained, "He returned on Tuesday; stating that there was nothing out of the ordinary happening,"

"But still," Lahar clenched his fist, "We must keep an eye on them. They might do something... Unconventional."

"Jellal, are you okay?" The president asked, turning to the blue haired man "You seem a little 'on edge' at the moment."

"Something happened last night..." he murmured, pinching the bridge of his nose to stop his head from hurting. "A police Lieutenant was being stalked. I believe that the stalker was about to do something if I didn't intervene."

"Are you still trying to find the person who killed those people?" the black haired man asked.

"Yes." He sighed and slouched in his chair. There was a moment of silence before the man sat up abruptly, "Do you think that the threats from Pergrande Kingdom and attacks are linked to this case?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Look... Isn't it coincidental that all those who were killed by these killers were working with the police, the Army, or the secret services?" Jellal asked, "They might be trying to tell us a message."

"Perhaps," Toma spoke, "But, I doubt they're linked with what's happening in Pergande. Though, it might be possible."

Lahar looked over at the time, "Sir, we must leave." he stood up, "Your plane leaves in an hour."

Toma stood up, "Sure." He gazed over at Jellal, "Be careful, Fernandes, and good luck."

"Thank," he waved at the two as they left his office. Slowly, he closed his eyes and sank into his chair, wincing as he felt the bandages scratch the lacerations on his back.

He placed his palm on his forehead and sighed, thinking about the scarlet haired woman. _'Erza... Would it be safe for you stay with a person like me?'_

"Jellal!" Natsu screamed, jumping through the doors of his office, "what the hell happened?"

"Calm down, flame brain!" Gray hissed, "Can't you see that he's a little stressed out?"

"Jellal, are you okay?" Lucy asked, walking in after Gray, with Erza following closely behind her.

"Jellal?" the scarlet haired woman asked.

As soon as he the agent heard her beautiful voice, his eyes immediately opened. Steadily, he removed his hand from his face to see his friends looking at him with anxious eyes.

He sat up and buried his face into his hands, "I'm fine..." he rubbed his face and looked at them, "What news have you got for me?"

"I've managed to track Jiemma's phone." Gray started, "But, I sent units to where he was last seen, and they couldn't find him."

"Also," Lucy joined in, "I couldn't track Simon's phone. Nor can I find him on any security camera."

The bluenette let out a frustrated groan and slammed his fist on the table; making everyone around him jump. "They're such cowards... Unable to take responsibilities for their actions..."

"Jellal, it's noon..." Lucy mumbled.

"So...?"

"I was wondering..." the third-grade detective beamed at him, "Shall we have lunch?"

"Lucy, we're in the middle of something, and-"

"Maybe if you eat something, you'll be less grumpy," she teased.

Erza chuckled softly, watching the bluenette's face redden.

"Fine..." he pouted, "lunch it is."

Natsu smirked, "for the first time: you decided to have lunch with us."

"What else am I supposed to do?" Jellal asked, "besides, I'm hungry as well."

* * *

The five of them walked through the streets of Magnolia; in the day time, the boulevards was covered with happy people. Many people stopped what they were doing just to look at the blue haired agent.

"That's Jellal Fernandes..." They murmured, "he's the one that saved our president!"

Gray looked at the bluenette, who only shrugged off the compliments. "you must get really used to it."

"It's not that... It's just that I don't normally walk around Magnolia to get lunch." Jellal explained, smiling at the group of people staring at him. "I usually order my food."

"That's a valid reason."

"Indeed." He chuckled, watching Gray walked slightly faster to catch up to Natsu and Lucy. The ultramarine looked over at Erza, who as looking around nervously. He gently took hold of her hand and pulled her into him, "Scarlet, is everything okay?"

"I think…" she narrowed her eyes, feeling a lot better with Jellal holding her, "I feel like there's someone keeping a close eye on me. I just felt really insecure for a minute."

"Don't worry." He smiled at her, "I'll keep an eye out."

Lieutenant nodded slowly and looked around again. All of a sudden, she stopped walking, her eyes landed in a large person in the crowd looking at the two. "Jellal," Erza rasped, "i-i…"

"Erza?" The bluenette asked, "what's wrong?"

She lifted her hand and pointed at the man in the crowd, "it's him." She answered, "he's the one who's been stalking me."

Jellal turned around quickly; his laser eyes landed on a hooded figure watching them. He gently pushed the Lieutenant towards Gray, "Stay here with Gray and the others."

"But-" before she could finish her sentence, the agent took off. "Jellal!"

The blue haired man ran towards the figure; who was beginning to run away from him. "Hey you!" Jellal roared. "STOP!"

"Shit..." the stalker cursed, sprinting away from the bluenette; knocking over several people. He pushed many things in front of the agent's way. But, Jellal only jumped over them. The latter ran past a small cafe. He grabbed a chair and threw it at the blue haired man, attempting to slow him down. But to no avail, as Jellal only caught it and threw it aside. He quickly looked over his shoulder, only to see Jellal chasing up to him.

The ultramarine sucked in a breath through his nose; refueling himself with a fresh supply of oxygen. His heart was beating fast. The stalker took a quick turn into an alley. Jellal quickly followed, only to meet a large wall. He saw the hooded man swiftly climbing up a ladder, before kicking it down to the ground; stopping the bluenette from following.

"I'll see you later, Sergeant Major." the large man sneered, disappearing from sight.

The bluenette growled and looked at the wall in his way. He looked at the two parallel walls beside the one in the middle. Thinking fast, he took a few steps back and then darted towards it. He jumped onto the wall to the left side, before leaping over to the one to the right, and then grabbed hold of the top of the middle wall; hurling himself over it.

Catching his breath, he narrowed his eyes; studying the area around him thoroughly. 'He didn't go far." he thought, 'He must still be here.' The air was freezing against his flushed cheeks. The wind was blowing at phenomenal speed, making it difficult to hear any other foreign noises. He closed his eyes and concentrated hard. Suddenly he heard faint footsteps. It sounded like the person was running on something metallic.

Whipping his head around, he saw a metal platform on the building, about 9 feet above him. Jellal followed it and saw the stalker still running from him on the platform. "You'll have to try harder than that." He smirked, picking up his pace. Once he was directly below him, the ultramarine jumped and grabbed the edge of it. Using his other hand, he seized the stalker's leg and yanked him off the platform.

The hooded man fell face first onto the ground; breaking his nose. He lied on the ground, paralyzed with the pain from erupting from his face. "That hurts.." he groaned.

Jellal took out a pair of cuff, lowered himself and cuffed the man's hands together. "You're under arrest for harassing a police Lieutenant," he roughly pulled him up to his feet. "Let's see who's the man behind the hood, shall we?"

"You wouldn't like what you see, Jellal." The stalker spoke calmly.

"really Jose?" the ultramarine asked, pulling down his hood, revealing his maroon hair. "I knew it was you all along."

"How?" Jose asked, "How did you know it was me?"

* * *

"What can we say about karma?" Jose asked, watching Jellal enter the interrogation room.

"It's a bitch."

"Jellal, how on earthland did you know it was me?" the maroon haired man asked, watching Jellal walk around the room.

The blue haired man sat down opposite him, "I just know." he placed some documents on the table, "Now, can you tell me the reason why you're stalking Erza Scarlet?"

"What?"

"I don't want to keep repeating myself." he spoke coldly, "Why were you stalking her?"

"I wasn't!" Jose argued, "I really didn't stalk her!"

"Really?" the bluenette said sarcastically, "Why did I see you watching me and Erza earlier?" he asked, "Why was Erza telling me she was being stalked?"

"I did-"

"I bet if I matched the boot print I found at Lucy's house last night, it'll match the boots you're wearing right now." He interrupted, "You can't hide anything from me."

Jose sighed in defeat, "You're right... You're way too smart."

"Cut the flattery." the bluenette snapped, "You stalked my friend, and then claimed you didn't." he hissed, "Why did you do it?"

"I didn't intend to do it." he admitted, "I have better things to do than stalked a police Lieutenant."

"I don't buy your story. Sound like you're making it up on the spot."

"I swear, Fernandes, I'm not." He threw his hands up in defense. "I was threatened."

"By whom?"

"I don't know!" the maroon haired man growled, "he threatened to kill my son, so I had to do it."

The blue haired man quirked a brow, "right..." He held out his hand, "I'm gonna need your phone."

"Sure, take it." Jose handed him his phone, "can I go now?"

Jellal stood up, "of course you can't." He glared at the man, "until I could verify your story, you remain in custody."

Concurrently, Erza and Gray stood outside the room; watching them through a window. "Do you think he's telling the truth?" Lieutenant asked.

"I don't know..."

"Why not?"

"Because, you're really pretty. Anyone would stalk you." Gray smiled sheepishly.

The scarlet haired woman averted her gaze from him and blushed madly. "Perhaps..."

Their heads snapped around when Jellal walked out the interrogation room. He looked so pale and exhausted. Almost as though he would collapse in a minute. "Gray," his voice was shattered and he sounded absolutely worn-out. He held out Jose's phone, "can you listen to the calls from this phone?"

Gray took the phone, "uh, sure." He looked back at the bluenette, "who is Jose anyway? How did he know you?"

"I don't know him."

"You obviously do because-"

"Gray!" Jellal snarled, glowering at the scarlet haired woman and the inspector. "I said I don't know him. End of story. Nothing else. Goodbye."

* * *

Jellal kicked open the door to his office and stormed into it. "Fuck this shit…" he growled, falling into his chair. He clenched his fist angrily, "first, Gray's saying _'_ohh_.. you should fall in love with her because she needs you'_. And, now you're flirting?"

He looked out the glass of his office, watching Gray and Erza together, "if you're so damn happy with her, why don't you date her again? Instead of flirting in front of me and shattering my heart into a million pieces!" He screamed at no one in particular.

Suddenly, his heart began aching, "she'll probably be happier with him..." he smiled sadly, "all I'll do is hurt her."

The ultramarine looked down at the pile of letters on his desk. He sorted through them; most of them being junk. But, one letter caught his attention. The writing was really messy, and the envelopes had smiley faces on them.

Curiously, Jellal held the letter and brought it up to his face. "Jellal Fernandes." He read the writing out loud since there's no one in his office.

Slowly, he opened it and removed its contents. He took the piece of paper and looked at it. On the white page, was a drawing of the blue haired agent and a little girl with black hair. "To Jellal." He murmured, looking at the child-like handwriting, "Merry Christmas and a happy new year. Love, Asuka.

The bluenette smiled and looked at the bottom left-hand corner. There was a number on it._ '4792._' He chuckled and looked down at his left arm, studying the tattoo of the number 4792. "Asuka..."

"Jellal?" Erza poked her head into his office, "hey, are you okay?"

The bluenette only l looked up at her and turned to the window behind him. "I'm fine."

"No, you're not." The scarlet haired woman placed a hand on his shoulder and gently squeezed, "you're such a bad liar."

"Really?" Jellal asked in a monotonous voice, pushing her hand away from his shoulder.

"Jellal?" Erza felt her heart throb at his sudden rejection, and she took several steps away from him, "what's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"But, earlier when I was with Gray-"

"That's exactly what's wrong!" The ultramarine snarled angrily, "Gray wants me to fall in love with you and to be honest with you, Scarlet, I have!" He confessed, "but now, I see all this tension between you and him."

"You love me?"

"of course I do!" He growled, "ever since we were kids!"

"There's nothing going on between me and Gray." She replied, "we're just friends."

"It looked a little more than that..." he spoke softly, feeling his heart wrench in his chest.

Lieutenant heard his voice break at the end of his sentence, "Jellal, I swear there's nothing going on."

He turned to her, tears falling from his eyes. "It's fine if you prefer Gray over me," Jellal whispered, "I just don't want to end up with a shattered heart." He pressed a hand over his chest, "well.. my heart can't break if it wasn't even whole to begin with."

Erza stood in shock. Jellal was crying, and it was all because of her.

"I'm sure you'll be better off with him anyway." He swiftly glided towards the door, "my house keys are on the desk. Ask Gray to take you back to my place..."

"wait!" She called, "where are you going?"

But, it was too late. Jellal was already making his way to the elevator. 'Forgive me, Scarlet.' He thought, 'you'll be better without me... I'll only hurt you more.'

Erza watched him disappears, her nerves sagging and her heart tearing. "Jellal, I love you too…"


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey**,** everyone! I decided to post another chapter because I've got a feeling that I'm gonna disappear soon.**

**This chapter might not seem significant, but, it's very important for finding out what the killer wants and for the... I'm not ruining the surprise for you XD**

**Anyway, here's the next chapter!**

**Chapter 15: Consequences**

* * *

_I love you, Erza. I love you so much, words can't even describe how much I do. My beautiful Scarlet, you don't belong with a man like me. Heck, I don't deserve to be loved by a woman so perfect, so pretty, so loving. _

_In the past, I've done things you wouldn't approve of, and I've done them over and over again._

_I've killed many people, watched the people I love die before me. I have led a life of unrestrained sin. I want to kiss you, make you blush and faint, pleasure you until you weep, and dry every tear with my lips._

_I'm sorry. You deserve more than anything I could give. But I can't stop thinking of you. You're my first and only crush, my beginning and end, my salvation, my everything. What would life be without you, Erza?_

_I want to talk to you forever. Remember every word you've ever said to me. Do you want to ask why I've kept my mouth shut for all these years? It's because some things can't be measured by time. Ask me an hour from now. Ask me a month from now. A year, ten years, a lifetime. My love for you will outlast every calendar and the toll of every bell that will ever cast._

_I don't want you to fall for a man like me. You deserve so much better and do you know why?_

_It's because I love you too much and, I'll end up hurting you._

* * *

Erza opened her eyes slowly. The sunlight bathed her creamy skin as she lay on her back. She groaned and closed her heavy eyes; the tears she shed last night has taken a toll on her. What had happened yesterday was something she didn't want to deal with today; Jellal confessing and then leaving her. The painful thoughts gnawed at her brain, preventing her from going back to sleep.

She sat up and looked around her room. She felt like such an idiot for letting Jellal walked away like that. Instead, she watched him leave her. No matter how many times she tried, tears kept filling her eyes until eventually, she cried herself to sleep. She could remember the pained look he had on his eyes. She was worried for him. He was so caring. He shouldn't have to go through any of this.

"Jellal..." she murmured, swinging her legs to the side of the bed and standing up. Lieutenant stepped out her room and made he way to Jellal's one. Quietly, she twisted the handle and pushed the door open; hoping the bluenette would still be asleep. She peered into the room, only to find the bed untouched and the room empty.

_He didn't return last night._

Her body filled with fear, '_I wonder if he's okay._' she left his room, strutted down the spiral staircase and walked into the large kitchen. She reached for her phone and dialed his number. The wait for him to pick up his phone was anticipating. Once the dial tone ended, it went straight to the bluenette's voice mail.

_He must be very busy._

How much she missed his mesmerizing voice and his spellbinding grin. His strong arms and his dark, warm eyes.

Suddenly, there was a knock om the door. Lieutenant's eyes lit up and she ran towards the door, "Jellal?" she asked, opening the door.

"Hey, Erza!" Gray, Natsu, and Lucy greeted.

The scarlet haired woman's heart sank, and she leaned against the door. "Oh, hey.."

"What's wrong, Erza?" Lucy asked, tilting her head to the side, "you look gloomy."

"Is it Jellal?" Gray asked.

"How'd you know?" Erza questioned, narrowing her eyes at him.

"I saw him storm out his office yesterday."

"He didn't return last night." she sighed, sinking into the door frame, "and, I'm worried sick..."

"Maybe Ultear knows where he's gone," Natsu spoke up, "Jellal's always disappearing, and the only person that knows is Ultear."

The inspector grinned, "Natsu, despite not having a brain in that skull of yours, that was a pretty good idea."

"Shut up, Stripper."

"That was a complement, Dragon boy!"

"You said I didn't have a brain!"

"Of course you don't, you idiot!"

"I ough-"

"SHUT UP!" Erza bellowed, "THE BOTH OF YOU!"

"Eep!" the two squeaked, "Gomenasai, Erza!"

"Erza, get ready," Lucy demanded, "Please."

* * *

"ULTEAR!" Natsu screamed, running towards the raven haired woman.

Ultear turned around to see the pinkette charging at her. "Oh, Natsu," she was unfazed at the fact that he was running towards her at amazing speed. Swiftly, she stood aside and Natsu smashed into the wall behind her.

"That's why you shouldn't rush things, you idiot." The inspector grumbled, "Looks like my theory of you not having a brain was correct."

"Shut up." the pinkette groaned, allowing Lucy to help him up.

"Erza, Lucy, Natsu and Gray." Ultear looked up at the four and smiled, "How may I be of help to you?"

"We're looking for Jellal," Erza spoke, trying not to sound desperate, "He didn't return home last night,"

"Jellal went to Joya yesterday night, around four." the raven haired woman reached into her pocket and took out a piece of paper, "He told me to give this to you, Erza."

"What is it about?"

"I haven't read it yet."

Lieutenant took the letter and opened it.

_Dear Erza,_

_I've managed to find something out about Simon's health condition. His sister, Kagura, told me about the fact that he had anti-social personality disorder. I know you're probably wondering what it is. Antisocial personality disorder is a particularly challenging type of personality disorder, characterized by impulsive and often criminal behavior. This is the reason for his criminal background. But, the question is: How did he get a job within the FTPD?_

_Someone with antisocial personality disorder will typically be manipulative, reckless and not care for other people's feelings. He's the person that fits one of the killers profile perfectly. He's uncaring, heartless and doesn't care about people's emotions._

_The reason I'm giving the information to you is because I got a call from someone, and I needed to do something in Joya. I won't be back until Thursday, and I wish you the best of luck until then._

_Yours, and only yours,_

_Jellal._

_P.S: What I said about you was true. I love you, Erza Scarlet._

Erza folded the piece of paper and felt her stomach turn._ 'so it's true. He does love me...'_ She fought the tears that threatened to leak out her eyes, _'No,_' she scolded herself._ 'Stop crying!'_

"What did it say?" Gray asked.

"Uh..." she took a deep breath, "Simon has anti-social personality disorder."

"no wonder he's such a cold-hearted piece of shit."

"What now?" Lucy asked, "Both Jiemma and Simon are out of our radar, and we've still got no evidence to prove that they did it."

"Erza." Natsu turned to the scarlet haired Lieutenant, "Do you remember anything about the attack?"

"Natsu!" Lucy scolded.

"No," Erza admitted, "It's still a blur."

"Don't worry, Erza." Gray patted her shoulder, "You'll remember it."

"Hopefully," she closed her eyes, thinking about the blue haired man. How much she wanted to be shackled in his warm embrace.

"We've managed to get into Jose's phone records," Ultear said, turning on the television in her office. "We also found his conversation with the killer."

"What did you get?"

"The killer threatened to kill Jose's son if he didn't agree to stalk and kill you."

"Why did he want Erza dead?" Lucy asked, watching Ultear change the channel. "I thought he was engaged to her."

"Anti-social personality disorder." Gray reminded, "The mental health issue made him not care about Erza's emotions."

"Maybe he wants to kill me because I was with him for quite some time," Erza explained, "Because I know him."

"Perhaps.." The raven haired woman stopped at the news channel and looked at the building burning on the TV screen. "Oh my goodness."

"Woah." Lucy gasped, "Isn't that the President's house in Joya?"

"It is."

"A fire has started in the President's house in Joya. It is said that the fire started due to an explosion in the kitchen." The spokesman explained, "The fireman believe that President Toma and several individuals are still trapped within the building."

"Toma's inside?" Gray asked in disbelief. "Who are the other people?" he looked at Ultear, who turned extremely pale. "Ul?"

The air inside her office suddenly tense, and the group fell silent. Erza felt her heart throb rapidly in her chest, and an uncomfortable feeling stirred in her stomach.

"Jellal's inside."

* * *

"Still nothing yet?" Gray asked, sitting next to the scarlet haired woman.

Erza stared into the bluenette's office, "Ultear can't access his phone," she whispered, "what if he's already dead?"

"Don't say that," he replied, "He's a tough man. Nothing can kill that guy."

Her thoughts lingered on Jellal, as she carried on studying his deserted workplace.

_ Why was he always saying that he wasn't worthy for her?_

"Erza," Gray waved his hand in front of her face, "What are you thinking about?"

Lieutenant's face slackened. Her brows knitted together and her eyes hardened with concern, "Nothing."

The raven haired man smiled slightly, "you're thinking about him, aren't you?"

"What are you talking about?!" She snapped, "I'm not..."

"Don't lie to me, lieutenant." He gently held her chin, making her look at him, "We're all worried about him, Erza. He'll be fine. I know it." He released her and scratched the back of his neck, "you know what?"

"What?"

"I'm still wondering how he got out the prison and casino." he looked at her, "Maybe he'll use his '_secret_' to escape the building?"

"Yeah..." she clenched her fist, "Jellal thinks you and I are dating."

"What?!" the inspector asked, "How could he think that?"

"I don't know." The room fell into an intolerable silence. Erza fiddled with the hem of her skirt nervously, unable to say anything.

Gray looked at her expression saddened even more, tears formed in her eyes and she quickly wiped them away. "Erza, are you okay?"

"Of course I'm not..." her voice was soft, "Jellal thinks I don't like him. But, I do. I love him."

"Why don't you tell him?"

"What if he pushes me away?"

"He won't." Gray justified, "He doesn't seem like the type."

"I'm gonna go home now." she stood up abruptly and headed to the door, "It's getting late, and I'm tired."

"Do you want me to drop you home?"

She shook her head, "I'll be fine on my own." she walked out the room, "Thanks for the offer though."

"Be careful."

Lieutenant looked out the windows of the building as she made her way out of headquarters.

_Another night without him.._.

* * *

Jellal groaned in pain and opened his eyes; feeling warm liquid drip from his forehead and then to his ear. He looked at the ceiling which was glowing with crimson flames. Despite his blurred vision, his memories were crystal clear.

It happened so suddenly. The agent was with the President's closest adviser, Lahar. Then, there was a loud explosion and everything turned white. 'It must've been the concussion.' He thought.

He took in a breath but cried out when he felt something stabbing into his stomach. His eyes traveled down to his ripped shirt, down to his torso; finding a large piece of metal sticking out of it, impaling him to the ground.

A loud moan caught Jellal's attention, and he looked to his side; finding Lahar gasping for air. "Lahar!" The bluenette called, hearing a grunt escape the man's throat.

The ultramarine reached down and grasped the metal lodged into the left side of his torso. He winced, took in short sharp breaths, and yanked it out his stomach; pieces of his own flesh followed after. He bit back a scream, feeling blood gush out his wound.

He sat up slowly and crawled weakly towards Lahar, intense pain consuming him quickly. Once he reached the black haired man, his eyes widened and he immediately pressed a hand over the wound on his chest. "Lahar." Jellal removed whatever was left of his shirt and wrapped it around his chest.

"Jellal." The man rasped, "you're hurt."

"We're both hurt." The bluenette justified, "c'mon buddy, let's get outta here." He grabbed one of his arms, swung it around his back and lifted the black haired man up to his feet. He felt his legs starting to give out as the blood flow was restrained from flowing to them.

"Leave me, Altair," Lahar whispered, "I'll only slow you down."

"Don't be ridiculous." He took a few shaky steps and almost collapsed. A loud cry escaped his mouth as the ashes from the burning building began entering the open wound on his torso. "I'm not giving up."

"Stop it, Fernandes." He begged, "if you keep going on like this, we'll both die."

"None of us is dying." Jellal tried to ignore the pain and pushed on, "I'm not letting you die, Lahar. I'm not having the past repeat itself!"

A falling piece of burning debris began raining down upon them, "leave me..." he closed his eyes, "Jellal, please, just leave me..."

"NO!" The agent screamed, tears of frustration falling from his eyes, "I promise you'll return to your cousin!" He growled, "I've lost many men in the Army, but, I'm not losing you!"

"Your heart beats for others," he spoke softly, "I truly admire you..."

The bluenette dodged several pieces of debris and carried on limping towards the exit. "Lahar," he groaned, coughing up a mixture of his own blood, and the ashes that he inhaled. He clenched his teeth in agony as he felt his lungs ripping to shreds. "You still there?"

"Yeah..." the man replied, "Jellal, you're wasting your breath."

_If blood loss didn't kill them, asphyxiation will._

Jellal's vision became fuzzy, and his head was swimming. His skin began burning and aching due to the bullying heat around the two, and he glanced at his friend on his shoulder. His eyes became heavy, skin deathly pale, and all he could hear was his faint heart beats drumming in his ears.

His legs gave out and everything went black. The next thing he knew, he was on the floor, his limbs sprawled all around him. He could still feel Lahar's arm around his shoulder. Paralyzed with the pain flooding around his body, the ultramarine was incapacitated.

"Shit..." he growled, holding the puncture on his torso.

The agent shuffled slightly but stopped; feeling his head throb painfully. "Jellal stop." Lahar sighed, "We're done for."

"I'm not giving up!" he roared. Even though his brain wanted to push on, his body resisted it. The torment was just about bearable for him, and he lifted himself from the ground, only for his arms to slacken.

He fell back down, he's anticipated on what's to come, like an enemy's finger on a loaded gun.

_'I never thought it would end like this...'_

"NO!" the bluenette hissed, "I can't die now... My friends are counting on me..."

"Just stop it, you'll only die more painfully."

"I'm not dying..." his eyes began to close slowly, "But why does it feel like I am?"

_'Get up Jellal.'_

He reopened his heavy eyes, "Erza?" he asked.

_'Don't give up. I need you.'_

"You don't need me, Scarlet," he smiled, "You have Gray. You'll have a much better life with him."

_'What happened to the Jellal that stood up against those people in the casino? Where is he?'_

"I'm sorry..." he whispered, his voice hinted that he was slowly giving in, "That Jellal is no more.."

_'Baka!"_ The voice in his head spoke,_ 'Don't forget. When life gets harder, you make yourself stronger to overcome the obstacles in your way.'_

Jellal's eyes shot open, "I can't give up yet. Erza's counting on me.."

Fueled by determination, he managed to push himself off the floor, grab Lahar and supported him to the exit.

"Jellal..." he spoke weakly, "I don't think we'll make it."

"I don't care. I'd rather die trying."

_'Erza, It's your words that gave me courage. They became my light that would guide me towards the right path again.'_

After what seemed like an eternity, Jellal finally made it to the door; mustering just enough energy to kick it open. Once he took a step out, he froze in his tracks, every muscle in his body seizing up. His eyes snapped shut before he collapsed to the ground, watching paramedics swarm around him and the black haired man.

Before Jellal had time to explain what just happened, the medic placed an oxygen mask over his mouth. Their voices became faint as he was slowly taken into the jaws of darkness. "Erza..." he managed to rasp out, "I'm sorry."

_And everything turned black._


	16. Chapter 16

**Hey, everyone! I've updated again because I will disappear around mid-April, and will probably come back at the end of June. So, I'm trying to get as much done before I vanish into thin air. However, I'll try and get some chapters up between my disappearance.**

**But, let's not worry about that right now... I mean, April is still a long way away XD**

**Chapter 16: One man army**

* * *

_Love isn't something you find, Scarlet. Love is something that finds you. And guess what? I've found you._

Jellal woke up to the sounds of plane engines, and the voices of several men. His eyes slowly opened, meeting the gaze of a paramedic. The bluenette jolted slightly, and then hissed at the pain erupting from his torso.

"Jellal," the medic spoke calmly, "relax, you're safe."

"Where am I?" He asked, looking at the white bandages that covered the vicious gash on his right arm. "What happened?".

"We're on a plane back to Fiore. You've been unconscious for a few days."

"How long?"

"Well, it's Saturday today. So, you've been out for about five days."

"Five days?" The bluenette's eyes widened, and he pressed a hand in his abdomen, "This wound must 'ave taken a large chunk out of me."

"The piece of metal entered you from the front and went straight through you. And, when you took it out, you took out bits of your own flesh."

The bluenette looked down at the blood covered bandaged around his stomach, "ouch."

The doctor held out a small jar, filled with small pieces of metal. "I manage to find all the bits of shrapnel in your stomach and large intestines." He explained, "unfortunately, they've done quite a bit of damage to them. So, you won't be able to eat solid food for a while." He pointed to his leg, "also, there was a hairline fracture on your femur."

"How long will will it be until I'm able to eat solid food?" Jellal asked, taking hold of the jar and staring at the blood covered metal.

"A week."

"That doesn't sound too bad." He tossed the jar back at the doctor and stood up; feeling his head suddenly throb and his left leg sting. He swayed a little, "where's Lahar?"

"Please, you must sit back down. You're badly injured, and still have Midazolam within your bloodstream."

"You... sedated me?"

"We performed an open surgery to remove all the shrapnel inside you and to mend that fracture. So, of course, we used a sedative." The medic explained, "The effects of it will wear off within the hour. But, that means you'll feel the full force if the operation, and that fractured bone. And, the pain you'll be in will be vast. Not just physically, but mentally too."

"How painful?"

"Think of the most painful thing that you've been through."

"Yeah...?"

"A trillion times more painful than that."

"Yipee." The blue haired man groaned sarcastically, "you didn't answer my question. Where's Lahar?"

The doctor bowed his head slightly, "I'm afraid your friend wasn't as lucky as you." He sighed, "he managed to get some shrapnel in his chest, and won't be out of the hospital until the end of this month."

"What?" The bluenette asked, reaching for a shirt.

"But, you were both lucky to escape that building alive."

"Just the thought of it is making me feel sick." He murmured weakly, massaging his forehead to stop himself from throwing up, "I could have died in there..."

"Sir, we're heading back to the hospital."

"Why?"

"You still require medical attention."

The ultramarine turned his head slowly, and then glared at him, "I _don't_ need medical attention."

* * *

"Natsu? Juvia? Lucy? Gray? Erza?" Mira asked, watching a group of police enter her bakery, "Good to see you guys again!"

The group walked over to her, "Hey Mira, good to see you too!" Lucy greeted, walking over to the counter "how long has it been?"

"I don't know... six or seven years?"

"Such a long time ago." Gray smiled, "This is Ultear Milkovich. She's a friend we met at the secret services."

"I'm Mirajane Strauss." The white-haired woman held out her hand, "great to meet you."

"The pleasure's mine." the raven haired woman smiled, "I hear you bake the best sweet treats in Magnolia."

"We do indeed," she looked around; trying to find a man with blue hair and a red tattoo on the right side of his face. "Where's the other guy?"

"What other guy?" Natsu asked, hearing Lieutenant sigh and walked towards an empty table. "Oh, you mean Je-"

Gray slammed his fist into the pinkette's stomach; winding him. "Shut yer trap!" the inspector hissed, "We agreed not to talk about him!"

"We did?" The pink haired man asked unknowingly, "oh yeah, we did."

Lucy face palmed, "Baka..."

"Who are we talking about here?", Mira asked, crossing her arms over her chest. "It's not fair that I don't know anything about Erza's boyfriend."

Juvia, Ultear and Lucy chuckled softly, "They're not a couple yet." Juvia turned to Gray, "It's just that, he's been missing for a few days, and Erza's quite worried about him."

"Who?" the woman asked again, "Who the hell are we talking about?"

"Jellal Fernandes." Juvia's voice was low, hoping Erza didn't hear her.

"OH! I remember him!" Mira said loudly, "He's that incredibly hot agent from the secret ser-"

"MIRA!" The group hissed, forcing her to stop what she was saying.

The white-haired woman smiled innocently, "Sorry about that.." she lowered her voice, "He's the one that met with constable Jura Neekis."

"Of Lamia Scale?"

"This was a while ago," she murmured, "When Erza was still in a coma. That guy seemed to really care for her."

"What did her say about her?" Gray asked.

"He didn't say anything about Erza," the woman justified, "It's just, the look he had in his eyes. He was so determined to find who did this to her," she pursed her lips, "And, now he's gone missing?"

"Hmm," the inspector responded, "Erza's absolutely devastated."

* * *

"Hey," Lucy spoke, looking at Erza's red eyes. She handed her a tissue. "Here."

"Lieutenant gladly took the tissue and carried on staring out the window, "Lucy," she whispered, "I remember it all..."

"All of what?" the others came and joined them.

"My childhood."

"Your childhood memories have returned?" Natsu asked, taking a seat in front of her, "Every single on of them?"

"Yeah..." she choked holding back the tears again, "All of them."

Juvia placed a hand on the scarlet haired woman's shoulder, "Erza," she gave her a small smile, "you can tell us anything, Lieutenant. We're your friends."

"Jellal," Erza began, "He said he loved me... But, I can't say anything back to him because he might be gone."

Ultear shook her head, "My dear, Jellal is a tough cookie." she spoke softly, "He's been through so many life threatening situations and has managed to pull out of it alive."

"But, he hasn't communicated anyone for over three days." Natsu intervened.

"Well," Ultear began,"Did Jellal ever told you about what happened in the year X786?"

Gray placed a strawberry cake in front of the scarlet haired woman. "What about X786?"

"None of your business." the woman turned to Erza and smiled, "Well, did he?"

"no... At least, I don't remember " she spoke slowly, pushing the cake away, "I'm not hungry."

"You might as well take a seat," the raven haired woman turned to the group staring at her with curious eyes. "Well, in X786, Jellal was returning from the Pergrande kingdom. He was spying on a criminal gang."

"He was a spy?"

"Being a high ranking agent, Sergeant Major, Marshal of the royal air force and former assistant supervisor for the president; Jellal has so much skill other people lacked. He's a trained mercenary, weapons expert, you name it. He's a man of many talents."

"He's pretty much everything I could think of," Lucy spoke, intrigued. "What happened to him?"

"Well, at that time, there were snipers on the snowy mountains of iceberg." Ultear carried on, "the plane flew over the mountains and the snipers shot at the engine. This caused the plane to malfunction and crash."

"Dear Mavis…" the blonde gasped, "I hear the temperatures in the mountains can reach 10 degrees Fahrenheit."

"They can. Now, he had to survive in the cold until he was able to find people who rescued him. During the time, Jellal lost a lot of weight and fought many hungry wolves to keep himself alive." She explained, "the special thing about this man is: he never loses hope, nor does he ever give up."

Erza looked at the raven haired woman; her body filling up with relief and pride. "he did that...?"

"I'm bewildered too." Gray blinked several times, "Jellal doesn't seem like the type."

"He looks more like the '_lazy_' person," Natsu admitted.

"you know what they say: don't judge a book by its cover." She smiled at Erza, "so, don't worry. Jellal will be fine."

Lieutenant nodded, feeling reassured by her words. "Yeah, he will."

Suddenly, Ultear's phone beeped, causing the people around her to jolt slightly.

"Wait a minute..." she looked at the text on her phone. "It's Jellal."

_'Get the others. My office, 10 minutes.'_

* * *

"Do you reckon he's back?" Gray asked, looking at the pinkette.

"He did text Ultear." The pink haired man replied, "so, he probably has."

"Erza, slow down!" Lucy called, trying to catch to the speedy red head. 'Boy was she desperate for him.'

The group entered the bluenette's office, to find the chair facing away from them. There was a bottle of aspirin on the table, along with several files and documents. "forgive me for taking such a long time." The voice was recognizable, but it seemed much colder.

The chair spun to reveal Jellal sitting in it; his face was deathly pale, and his eyes were relentless that showed no armistice.

_He didn't seem like the Jellal they knew._

"Take a seat." His voice was low and icy, sending shivers up the polices' spin. He wasn't wearing a suit, but a simple black shirt and combated trousers. The shirt exposed much of the bloody bandages on his arm. "I have many important things to say to you guys."

"Go on."

The bluenette groaned softly and reached for the bottle of aspirin; he took one out and swallowed it. "I've found out that these murders aren't just personal. But, they're global."

"What?" The group questioned in utter surprise. "What do we know about this global matter?"

"I'm not allowed to tell you."

"That's not really helpful for us." Natsu pouted, "you've got to tell us, right?"

"_Us_?" The ultramarine asked, "what do you mean by '_us_'?"

"What are you talking about?" Erza asked, "we're a team, aren't we?"

Jellal bowed his head, his blue bangs covered his dull hazel orbs. "I'm sorry, but you guys aren't working the case anymore." After he said that, all he wanted to do was hide in the corner of the office and never come out. "you guys are off the case."

"What?!" The inspector screamed, "you can't stop us from investigating this case!"

"Striper's right!" Natsu argued, slamming his fist into the bluenette's desk, "you can't do that!"

"I'm not repeating myself." He said calmly, "Tell the rest of Fairy Tail that this investigating has come to a close."

"You're quitting? After what they did to Erza and the others," The raven haired man growled angrily, "you're giving up?"

Erza looked into the bluenette's eyes; they were clouded with hatred and sadness. She couldn't sense the warmth he had in those dark orbs.

"I'm working the case on my own." He declared, turning his gaze from the red head, "I can't risk losing you guys."

"Don't be ridiculous." Gray snarled, "we're a team, we work together!"

"My presence will only put you guys in danger!" Jellal reasoned, "the department was destroyed because of me. Erza was put in hospital because of ME!"

"It's not your fault! I already told you!" Erza bellowed, glaring at the man. The entire room fell silent, "it's not your fault, Jellal. When will you ever learn to stop blaming yourself?"

"when I find a way to forgive myself," Jellal spoke, his voice softening, "I've done things in my life that I regretted doing. But, I was always ready to face the consequences."

"But, Jellal." Lucy began, "you're not responsible for the death of others."

"I provoked the killers." He admitted, "now, they're hunting anyone who knows anything about them." He clenched his fist, "it'll be better if you keep your distance from me and stop working the case. I can handle it on my own."

"But then, they'll be after you, and you only." Erza reminded, "you're not planning to..."

"That's my plan." He verified, "it means fewer people will be targeted."

"I'm not letting you work it in your own, Fernandes." Gray stood up abruptly, "Do you not realize the amount of danger you're putting yourself into?"

"Of course I realize it." the blue haired man spoke, "But I don't really care."

"Well, I do." the redhead hissed assertively, "I care about about what happens to you, Jellal."

"She's right." Gray's voice softened and he sat back down. "Why do you want to push us away?"

"I don't want you to lose something I already lost."

"What?" Lucy asked, "What did you lose?"

"My family..." the agent mumbled sadly, "I lost my family..."

The room fell inaudible. The group looked at the bluenette, their mouths agape and their eyes widened with shock and guilt. They felt a dark aura around him and gulped anxiously, waiting for the man to speak.

Suddenly, they heard the sharp sound of glass cracking and looked down at the ultramarine's hand, crushing the aspirin bottle.

"Jellal," Erza placed a hand above his own and squeezed it gently, "Please."

The man gritted his teeth and stood up; he gave them a remote glare before he limped painfully to the door and opened it, "Leave."

"But-"

"Just go!" he screamed, unable to look them, "You're not making this any easier for me!"

Lieutenant stood up, "But Jellal-"

"Please..." Jellal begged, "Please just go. I want to be alone..."

* * *

_Sometimes, it's better to be alone. Where you won't be able to hurt anyone._

"Jiemma." Jellal knocked on the door, "Jiemma, It's me. Jellal."

_No answer._

The bluenette narrowed his eyes, 'I can't bust into the house, I'm still injured..' he thought, pressing a hand on his bandages abdomen. His eyes traveled back to the keyhole on the door.

He examined it thoroughly before he reached into his pocket and took out a paper clip. He bent it into and 'S' shape and then snapped it in half. The man looked around to see if anyone was passing by. He inspected the area around him, only to find that there was no one there.

Quickly, he placed the broken paper clip into the lock and pressed his ear to the door. He twisted the clip to the left slightly and heard a faint but clear 'click' sound. The bluenette reached for the handle and opened the door; smiling to himself.

"Jiemma?" he called. He reached for the gun attached to his belt and took it out, before stepping into the deserted house. The furniture in the living had been completely wrecked, and there was glass everywhere on the floor. He lowered the gun; realizing that Jiemma wasn't in the house.

There was a mountain of dirty clothes scattered around the room. Deftly using his feet to push away the clothes and made a path towards the next room, he witnessed the full horror of Jiemma's bedroom.

The unmade bed was piled high with paper, guns, grenades and clothes. The paper had dropped to the floor, alongside a large sniper and a sub-machine gun.

A half-eaten pizza and a packet of chips lay on the dirty bowl atop the desk, accompanied by two empty beer bottles. The large plastic bin, besides the desk, was overflowing with crumpled pieces paper. The closet door was ajar, and he could see Jiemma's army uniform peeking out from under a pile of smelly boots.

The bluenette turned back to the door but felt his body stiffened when he saw something he regretted seeing. "Oh my god..." he gasped, looking at the images pinned onto the wall. "What the hell have you been doing, Jiemma?"

There was mostly images of Levy and Gajeel, all with a large cross on their faces. His eyes moved on to the image on Erik beside it, and then to Macbeth, Cheila, Sherry, Bisca, and Alzack; all with crosses on their faces. He reached into his pocket, took out a pair of latex gloves, and took down an image. He stared at it momentarily.

He lifted his head and found one that immediately caught his eyes. It was a picture of his squad during his time in the army. He looked at all his former comrades, each one of them smiling. He found himself somewhere in the middle; standing in his navy battle dress uniform, with his hands behind his back, his chest puffed out, showing off his medals and the Marshal of the royal air force insignia sewn onto the right side of his chest.

_We were so young..._

But the thing that haunted him was the fact that there was a large circle around his face, with arrows pointing towards him. The blue haired man's breathing became heavy and sonorous. He took out his phone and pressed it to his ear.

"Metalicana." The ultramarine spoke.

_"Ah, Jellal."_ a deep voice spoke, _"It's been such a long time, hasn't it?"_

"Yeah. I was wondering if you could meet me at Strauss bakery at 0900 tomorrow." Jellal stared at the picture, shaking his head with disbelief, "We need to talk."


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17: Memories that last a lifetime**

* * *

"What is wrong with him?" Gray snarled, storming into headquarters with Natsu, Lucy, and Erza, "why the fuck would he kick us from the investigation?"

"I don't know." Natsu scratched his head, "but, he seemed a little on edge."

"He thinks he could just push us away from him?!"

The pinkette narrowed his eyes, "he made Erza cry." He growled, walking into Ultear's office. "I think he's picking a fight with me!"

"who is?" Lucy looked up at the two, "what are you guys talking about?"

"Jellal's trying to pick a fight with us!" Natsu bellowed, balling his fist, "he kicked is from the investigation!"

"Why would he pick a fight with us?" The third-grade detective asked, "he's badly injured!"

"And, he decides to take the investigation by himself... Great." The raven haired man grumbled sarcastically, "I don't trust him on his own."

"Nor do I." Erza joined the conversation, "he hasn't really been at his house lately."

"I wonder what he's up to?"

"Probably somewhere getting himself killed." Gray mocked, earning a slap from the red head.

"He's been acting strange lately, have you noticed?" Lucy asked.

"of course we have."

"Maybe he's under a vast amount of stress...?" Erza asked, "Ultear did say he worked for the president."

"Yeah, well. He could at least let us help him a little."

"Forgive me for Jellal's odd behavior." Ultear walked into to her office, "he's always like this during this time of the year."

"But it's almost Christmas, he's supposed to be jolly and happy," Natsu spoke.

"Jellal didn't tell you guys about his sister, did he?"

"HE HAS A SISTER?!" Natsu, Gray, and Lucy screamed at the same time.

"Now that you've mentioned it... he did." Erza quirked a brow, "but, I can't really remember what happened after."

"Is that what he meant about 'losing his family'?" The blonde asked, "you know, what he said yesterday?"

"Yes, yes it is."

"What happened to her?"

"Well, almost two years ago..."

* * *

**Two years before...**

Jellal climbed down the steps from a fighter jet; jumping the last few steps, he landed hard on the ground. The man hefted his helmet and looked at his fighter jet. He placed a hand on the shiny metallic body, feeling smooth metal beneath his palms.

"Jellal," a young man with black hair, tied into a bun and hidden in a white cloth, and red eyes held out his hand, "shall I take your helmet?"

"Thanks." The bluenette handed him the helmet, smiled and took out his radio, "Alpha 201- this is Altair. Tell 'em: the eagle has landed."

"Roger that." the man in the radio spoke, "Have nice day Altair."

"Yeah, you too." He hooked his radio back onto his belt and headed into the base. The Fiorean air base was exceptionally busy today; chattering voices wild with laughter, pouring out of the units. The sound of plane engines stopping and starting outside on the runway. The training area was filled with people much younger than the blue haired man.

The man recalled his first day in the army and smiled proudly to himself. "Morning Jellal," the woman at the counter spoke, "How was it? Did you like it?"

"Well, Sorano." The ultramarine began, leaning on her desk, "The Boeing F-22 raptor is by far the best jet I've ever flown."

"It is probably the most advanced jet we have in the base."

"It's great because it's almost invisible to enemy radars." he explained, "It also has the best and most powerful array of weaponry."

"All you care about is the weaponry?" the white-haired woman asked, shaking her head, "You're probably the most childish person I've ever met..."

"I don't see how liking the weaponry is childish..." Jellal pouted, "It's also really fun to fly. You can do flips, barrel rolls and-"

"Fernandez," Sorano interrupted, "The raptor is the most advanced and most expensive fighter aircraft in all of Earthland. Try not to break it."

"It is my plane, Angel." The bluenette took out his phone, which was ringing, "Excuse me." he turned away and headed to the air mobility operation wing. "Fernandez."

"Jellal?" a small voice whispered, "Why have you always got a serious voice?"

The man's eyes widened, "Levy?" he asked, a large smile forming on his lips, "Hey, I never expected you to call."

"I was just wondering if you were okay." she said, ""How have you been, big brother."

"I've been great," the man leaned against the wall, "How is married life? Is Gajeel treating you nicely? Cause if he isn't, then I'll beat the shit outta him."

"Calm down, big bro." the woman chuckled, "He's been treating me nicely, and married life is lovely."

"Awesome."

"When are you gonna find a woman you love, onee-san?" she asked, a hint of sadness in her voice, "I mean, you're older than me and you still haven't found someone you love. Someone you want to entire life with."

"Well, most people have a harder time letting themselves love than finding someone to love them." he explained, "And, it looks like I have to wait a little bit longer to find someone I love, kiddo."

"But, you're twenty-five!"

"I'm still young at heart."

"Big brother!" she spoke sharply, "I want you to be happy."

"I am happy." he said simply, closing his eyes slowly, "Knowing that you are happy, makes me feel content."

"But, I want you to be loved by a woman that you love onee-san. I don't want you to be alone for the rest of your life."

"Don't you worry about me, Levy." he assured, "I'll be okay."

"Even thou-"

"Levy," the man calmly spoke, "Like I said: I'll be okay."

"Okay..." she sighed, annoyed by her brother's stubbornness. "But, if you don't find anyone till you're 26. I'll make you date one of my friends."

"That doesn't sound too bad."

"Levy," asked another voice in the phone, "Who are you talking to?"

"No one." Levy murmured, "I was just singing."

"Indeed," the voice spoke. "I'll be needing your reference for the investigation on my desk by the hour."

"Understood."

Jellal quirked his brow, finding the foreign voice distinguishable. Almost like the ghost of his past.

"Sorry about that." Levy returned to the phone, "Life as a police officer."

"Who was that?" he asked, "That woman talking to you?"

"She's the Lieutenant of the Fairy Tail police department, and the best detective working in the department."

Suddenly, there was a loud bang; forcing Jellal to cover his ears momentarily. When his ears stopped ringing, he pressed the phone back to his ear.

"Sorry about that," he ran his finger through his hair.

"What on Earthland was that?"

"That as a jet doing a sonic boom."

"You're still in Fiorean air base?" she questioned, "I thought you left the army."

"I did," he justified, "I was just testing out the new military jet they designed. It's so awesome!"

"Likewise," his sister said boringly. "Anyway, I was wondering if you'd like to come over for Christmas."

The bluenette paused for a moment, "Yeah sure." he agreed, "It's been a while since we've spent Christmas together."

"Awesome," she said softly, "Well, I gotta go now."

"Sure."

"Big brother."

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"I love you too, little sister."

"Oh, yeah, Jellal," Levy mumbled quickly, "wait,"

"What's up?"

There was an immensely long silence before she said something.

"I'm pregnant."

Jellal's eyes shot open and he choked on his saliva; trying to soak in what Levy just said. He slammed his fist on his chest to rid the foreign liquid in his esophagus.

"Jellal, are you okay?"

The man cleared his throat one last time, and then straightened his posture. "When did you find out?"

"I found out yesterday, since I vomited, and took a pregnancy test at least four times." she said excitedly, "They all came back positive!"

"Awesome!" he screamed happily, "Congratulation little sister!"

"Thank you so much, onee-san!" she laughed merrily, "It just feels like a dream!"

"You'll soon get used to it." he smiled to himself.

I'm going to be an uncle.

"So, you're coming for Christmas?"

"Of course."

* * *

Jellal knocked on Levy's door, holding a large teddy bear in his arms. "Levy?"

There was no answer. The bluenette frowned, thinking that his sister was throwing some sort of surprise party for him. He waited for another few minutes, just in case she was busy.

He looked at the window; the curtains were drawn, but he could still a source of light within the house. The ultramarine reached for the handle and was shocked to find out that the door was opened. His eyes flickering back and forth as he entered his sister's house. Every sound of the movements he made and every shrill bird call caused him to jump.

This was the first time Jellal Fernandes felt fear.

His hand unconsciously tightened around the teddy bear. He looked up at the walls and his heart wrenched in his chest as he saw arterial blood spray on it. "Oh my…" his voice was stuck in his throat, his words melted by the fear that consumed his soul.

Facing forward, he ventured deeper into the house, fear clouding his mind and adrenaline pumping through his veins. He hesitantly stepped into the living room and almost collapsed to the ground of the sofa wasn't there.

His body began shaking uncontrollably, and his stomach churned uncomfortably. He backed himself against the wall trying to register what was happening that very moment.

_No..._

_No..._

Tears formed in the man's eyes and clutched his heart; feeling as though it had stopped working.

His sister was lying there. Blood all over her hands. "L-Levy…" he finally gasped out. He looked around desperately; there wasn't a reason or a weapon, but a person. It wasn't a dream. This was real. His sister, lying on the ground. Dead

His mind began slacking, slowing everything down as horror began to devour him. Next to her, lay Gajeel, suffering the same fate as his wife.

Jellal felt sick. He felt a warm putrid feeling rising up his stomach, a bitter taste in his mouth, then a tingling and almost burning sensation building up in his throat. He threw his head to the side and before he knew it, he was spewing everything out his system. The blood and the thought of his little sister being dead overwhelmed the poor man.

He gasped, spitting out the disgusting flavor dominating his mouth. The realization struck him hard, like a bullet. The next thing he knew, he had collapsed. His knees stopped working and gave out. He was on all fours, like a dog, and threw up again. He cried out in a mixture of pain, anger sadness. As far as the bluenette knew, time had stopped completely.

He slowly crawled over to her motionless body. There might still be a possibility that she was alive, right? _Wrong_.

The bullet that was fired at a point blanc range penetrated her head and came it the other side. She was motionless. Pale as snow. He was so shocked, he didn't know what to do. He looked over at his sister again, crimson liquid was the only thing he saw.

He hoped he could wake up from this dreadful nightmare. But his wouldn't allow him since this was reality. He gently cupped her cheek, feeling so nauseous he could throw up once more. The man clenched his teeth and squeezed his teary eyes shut. He lifted his hand and closed her eyes, making it look as though she's resting peacefully.

"No..." he whispered angrily, "LEVY!"

* * *

The group sat in silence. "I never knew Levy was Jellal's little sister," Gray admitted. He closed his eyes, the thought of what Jellal had been through made him feel nauseous.

"Nor did I," Lucy mumbled, her eyes wide as she tried to manifest what Ultear just said. "Coming home to see his little sister dead..."

"That's depressing..." Natsu shoved his hands into his pocket, "this just unravels so many mysteries about him."

Lucy turned to him, "What do you mean?"

"this is the reason why Jellal is always working over time." The pinkette explained, "he wants to avenge his sister and find the people who did this to her."

The inspector nodded slowly, "it could also be the reason why he's pushed us away."

"How?"

"He probably doesn't want us to suffer the same fate as Levy." Gray looked around, "where the hell did Erza go?!"

Ultear looked it the window, "she's over there."

* * *

Erza sprinted out of the building, down the car park and out of headquarters. "Jellal…" she breathed, picking up her pace. "Where are you?"

Lieutenant looked around Caelum, before catching a heading back to the river.

_'I've remembered everything about your sister...'_

She finally reached the river and sighed with relief; she should have known that Jellal would be here, by the river's edge. When the latter were kids, and he had something on his mind or something bothering him, he would always come out here to think and clear his head. "If you won't come to me, I'll go to you."

The redhead was about to take another step toward the river edge when a sudden, powerful blast of wind swept across her and made her stop in her tracks. She stared at him; his back facing her. The bluenette wasn't wearing his suit, but a pair of jeans and a black jacket. Just then, another gust of wind blew.

She could almost hear Jellal's seclusion in the wind; a supplication to be left alone. Erza stopped moving and her eyes soften; understanding the feelings he's going through.

"Jellal," she mumbled to herself, "just remember something, I've always been by your side, and, I don't care whether you put me in truth is… you never fail to amaze and impress me. You're such a skilled person, and I sometimes wonder if I deserve you. Every day I find out something that makes me love you even more than before. All my childhood memories have returned, and I remembered myself as the girl who's always afraid of opening up. But, then I met you. Jellal, I want to help you. And, don't forget this: I'm always here for you. Just know that."

She as just about to walk away, when another gush of wind blew; this time, forcing the lieutenant to face him. Her eyes met his red ones. Despite the distance between the two, Erza could immediately read what his hazel orbs were trying to say.

_'Erza.'_ his eyes spoke, _'thank you'_

* * *

"Simon!"_ Erza screamed, trying to shield herself from the brunette's punches, "Stop it! Please."_

_"I don't want to repeat my question!" he bellowed and grabbed her by her hair. She cried out in pain, "Has Jellal said anything to you?"_

_"no!" she shook her head, "He hasn't told me anything!"_

_"Liar!" he landed a blow that connected with her chin. "I know Jellal has said something to you!" he grabbed her lacerated arm and pulled her up into a seated position._

_"It's pretty obvious that you and Jellal have a close relationship." Another man came into the room and walked towards them. He knelt down in front of her and grabbed her bruised chin forcefully."So, he must have told you something."_

_"I swear!" lieutenant screamed, "He didn't tell me anything about you guys."_

_"Hmph," Simon grunted. He stood up and pulled out a gun from his pocket. "I haven't got time to put up with this Bullshit."_

_Erza looked at the gun with wide eyes, "Simon, please." she begged, tears falling from he face._

_He pulled back the safety switch and smirked, "Say goodbye, Erza Scarlet."_

Erza screamed and sat up; panting heavily for air. Her eyes scanned the darkness around her. She was in her room, at Jellal's house. Her heart rate quickened even more. _'Was it a dream?_' she thought,_ 'No, it was a memory.'_

She needed to tell Jellal. But, suddenly tears formed in her eyes as the last bit of memory she thought was long forgotten, returns. Lieutenant swung her legs around and pushed herself off the bed.

All of a sudden, a great wave of pain engulfed her and she collapsed to the ground, clutching her head.

"Jellal..." she squeaked.

_Still not being submissive?_

She sobbed loudly and pressed her hands on her ears to stop the voices.

_Farewell, Erza. I did love you at some point in time._

"Jellal." Lieutenant whimpered, trying to stop the painful memories from returning. "JELLAL!"

In a split second, the doors burst open, and Jellal jumped into the room, holding out a gun in front of him. He looked around the room, and then his eyes locked with Erza. She was on the floor, crying uncontrollably.

"Erza..."

Erza looked up at him, and her face instantly turned a deep shade of red; not from the tears, but from the embarrassment. Jellal stood before her, in nothing but a towel. She could see the lathered soap, and water droplets on his skin.

Her eyes followed the water droplet down his well-built chest, with his dog tags sticking to his damp skin, and down to his defined abs. Her eye twitched, staring at his Adonis belt, which disappeared beneath the towel around his waist. On the left side of his torso was a large gash with stitches on it, pleading to be bandaged up.

He slipped a gun into his towel, walked towards her and knelt. "Hey," he lifted his hand and wiped her tears away, "What's wrong?"

She looked at him; his eyes weren't cold anymore, and his voice was so soothing. "Jellal.." she choked, relieved to see him, "I thought you weren't home."

"Of course I was home." he cupped her cheek, "Is everything okay?"

Lieutenant sucked in a breath through her nose, inhaling the soap on his body. "What if they come for me?"

Jellal raised a brow, "what?"

Erza placed her hands on his chest, "What if they find me?" she shook her head, turning her gaze from him, "What if they're still after me?!"

"Who?" he asked. He lifted her head up and stared deeply into her tearful brown orbs. "Erza, what are you talking about?"

"Simon," she closed her eyes, her hands sliding off his chest. She gritted her teeth, "Will they hurt me again?"

The bluenette felt his heart ache. He quickly pulled her into his arms, her face pressing against his bare chest. "No." he whispered, running his fingers through her scarlet tresses. "They're _not_ gonna lay a finger on you."

"Jellal, what if-"

"Hush," he whispered, pulling her back slightly. He stroked her cheek with the back of his hand and smiled, "Nothing's going to hurt you, Scarlet. Nothing."

"I remember everything..." she murmured, " Simon and his friend."

"Scarlet," he bumped his forehead gently on hers, "I promise you this: No harm is going to come to you. I won't let it happen."

"Thank you..." she whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck.

The ultramarine lifted her from the ground; carrying her bridal style. "C'mon."

"Jellal, where are we going?"

"My room," he smiled at her, limping towards his room. "You'll probably sleep better there."

Her face reddened at the thought of him and her in a room together. Yet, the man didn't show any signs of discomfort or embarrassment. He looked so casual.

"Jellal, you can put me down."

"No." he chuckled, pressing her harder against his chest.

"You're limping."

"So?"

"Why are you limping?"

Jellal shrugged, "I fracture a bone on my thigh."

"You shouldn't really be walking, should you?"

He shrugged again and carried on limping to his room.

Erza stared at him; His intense, warm Hazel eyes were focused on the hallway they were walking across. His inky blue hair contrasts against his smooth tanned skin, and for a brief moment she saw his thin lips flick up to a smirk.

The blue haired man was certainly gorgeous with his maroon tattoo, which brought out his angular cheekbones, and slender nose. He suddenly clenched his teeth together, bringing out the muscles on his jaw.

Erza felt her face flush again.

_Kami, he's so handsome._

He stepped into his room and gently placed her on his bed. "Bear with me for a moment," he stood up and walked into his bathroom.

Few minutes later, he returned, his torso wrapped him heavy bandages. "Now," he sat on the bed, "Was is Simon?"

Erza nodded, "Yeah, it was him." she verified, "And, there was someone else too."

"Jiemma?"

"who's that?"

The bluenette pursed his lips, "Would you mind if I showed you a picture of him?"

"No, not at all."

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

Jellal reached for the table beside his bed and grabbed an image on it. He gave it to Erza, "Here."

The first person her eyes landed on was Jellal. He looked so young in his navy blue uniform. She saw the numerous medals hooked onto his shirt, accompanied by the large Air Marshall badge beside it.

But, next to him stood a man with white hair. His face was tense, and he was the only person smiling. Her heart skipped a beat, and her breathing became hoarse.

The agent realized her sudden hiatus and waved a hand in front of her face, "Erza?"

"Jellal," she pointed to the man standing beside Jellal in the image, "That's him. He's one of them."


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18: Of days gone by...**

* * *

_I have lost many brave men and women, but their sacrifices are not in vain. As long as they live on in my heart and in the hearts of other, the spirit within my body cannot, and will never be broken, I will make them all proud. I've crawled through the blood of others, as well as my own to achieve my glorious victory... No, our glorious victory._

_I didn't risk my life for the fame, or glory, but, I did it because I knew it was right. I fought for revenge, not just for myself, but for the ones who were killed by these cowards. These Bastards who tore you from the arms of your loved ones. I can feel the unimaginable pain they're going through because I myself, felt it._

_I used to advertise my loyalty and I didn't believe there was a single person in my life I thought would betray me. But, I was wrong. I never knew what it felt like to be betrayed. Until it happened. For many weeks, I have scrutinized the killer's minds until I just couldn't take it anymore. Soon - I will watch as Simon and Jiemma fall before me, begging for mercy. Along with all those foolish enough to stand in my way._

* * *

Jellal walked into a hospital room and saw Lahar sitting on the bed with Doranbolt by his side. The bluenette sighed with relief; glad that his friend woke from the medical coma. "Lahar," he shoved his hands into his pocket and smiled at him. "Glad you're awake man."

"Jellal," the black haired man spoke softly, "I can't thank you enough."

"There's no need to thank me." the ultramarine walked over to the chair on the left side of the bed and sat down.

Doranbolt smirked at the blue haired man, "You kept the promise."

"Indeed." Jellal crossed his arms over his chest, "I never break promises."

Lahar closed his eyes slowly, "How did you do it, Jellal?"

"Do what?"

"You were injured. You fracture your femur, you ripped a large piece of metal from your stomach and you had lacerations everywhere," he reminded, ""How the hell did you get us both out?"

The bluenette shrugged, "I just..." he started, "I can't explain it..."

"Take your time." Doranbolt murmured.

"Well, the difference between something being impossible and something being possible lies within the person's determination." he explained, holding his hands together, "If you have the discipline, courage and perseverance, nothing is impossible."

"But, you were injured so badly."

"There was also a voice in my head." The bluenette added, "A strong, warm and beautiful voice urging me to get up, push forward and survive." he looked up at the two black-haired men, who were staring at him with fascinated eyes, "Her words fueled me with the bravery I needed."

"That's awesome." Doranbolt patted the agent's shoulder. "Did you know who the person's voice was?"

"Erza Scarlet..." he whispered.

"Who?"

"No one." the blue haired man stood up, "It was just a voice."

"I can't help but feel guilty, Jellal," Lahar mumbled, "We could have died in-"

"But we didn't." Jellal interrupted, "We survived Lahar, and surviving is winning. Don't be ashamed of what happened, it'll only inspire others."

Lahar's eyes widened; touched by the man's words. He nodded, tears of happiness formed in his eyes, and streamed down his cheek. "Understood."

Jellal's phone sounded and he looked at the message on it.

_We need to talk. Meet me at your office in 10 minutes._

_-Erza_

* * *

Erza sat on the desk in Jellal office; her eyes watching each individual seconds on the clock tick by. She sighed, _'I knew he wouldn't come'_

She averted her gaze and stared out the window. For now, it's only her and the blue sky above. The color reminding her of his hair.

Jellal's hair.

Another sigh escaped her throat as she thought about the events that took place last night. How he said that nothing would touch her. Now, he can't even follow one simple instruction.

She winced. _'Why am I acting like this?' she thought, 'It's just Jellal!'_

Suddenly, someone entered the office, shut and locked the door. "You wanted to see me about something?" asked a deep baritone voice.

_It's him._

Lieutenant turned around and looked at the man standing in front of the door; his hair was windswept and his eyes were filled with concern. "I was expecting you two minutes ago."

The bluenette moved slightly closer to her, "Tell that to the traffic."

He was glad that Erza was returning back to normal- stubborn as always. "Now, what's wrong?"

She ripped her gaze from him, "Where did you go this morning?"

"I went to visit a friend at the Hospital." he answered, crossing his arms, "Is that all?"

"no." she murmured, still not looking at him, "I need to ask you a question."

"Go on."

"Do you enjoy pushing me away from you?"

Jellal's eyes widened; he felt something slam into his chest suddenly. "What?"

She closed her eyes and shook her head. "When my memories returned, I always recalled the fact that you always pushed me away from you," she explained. "And, you didn't give a shit about the way I felt."

"Erza, I.," he stopped, hearing her sniff. The bluenette felt his heart sink in his chest. "I-I" he stuttered, trying to find the correct words to say.

"Save it, Jellal," she whispered angrily, "I don't want to hear your excuses anymore." She glared at him, tears of sadness flooded her eyes. "You say it all the time. How I would be safer if I wasn't with you."

"But, it's true."

"No, it's not true!" she snapped, "If you don't love me, just say so! It's pretty obvious that you don't, since my presence only makes you feel bad. I'm just fed up of you pushing me away and breaking my heart."

His mouth dropped and his eyes darkened.

She stood up from the desk, "That's all I have to say." she wiped away her tears, "I'll see you later-"

Before she could continue, Jellal pulled her into arms and buried his face into the crooks of her neck. Lieutenant gasped, shocked at his abrupt movement. "I'm sorry..." the man gritted, "Forgive me for making you feel like this."

"Jellal..."

He pulled his head back, "I didn't intend to make you upset." he lifted his hand to caress her cheek, "I thought it would be better for the both of us."

"No," she whispered, turning her face from him, "It's not."

"Look at me, Scarlet." he demanded. Her eyes met his dark ones, "You're actually right."

She quirked a brow; confused by his sudden change in resolution.

"Eh?"

"The safest place for you is by my side." he slid the pads of his finger down to her chin; feeling her shiver. He tilted her head up, "I'm never letting you leave my side. From now on, I'll b the one that protects you, and I'll never push you away or make you feel like this again."

Lieutenant smiled softly, "Thank you.."

"Have I ever told you how beautiful your eyes were?"

"Many times."

"Good." he lowered his face and gently pressed his lips on hers. The unexpected move caused the Lieutenant to jolted slightly. After coming out her shock, she closed her eyes slowly. Jellal could feel her heart beat rising, and her body melted into his. Moments later, he pulled away from her catching his breath, "Erza, I love you."

"I love you too, Jellal." as soon as those words escaped her mouth, he immediately pressed his lips on hers again. This kiss was more urgent, and it dominated Erza's entire being. His tongue glided across her bottom lip and she groaned, parting her mouth, as he backed her up to his desk.

"Jellal." she broke away from him, "we're in an office."

"So...?"

"Maybe we shouldn'-"

The bluenette cut her off by crushing his lips on hers. He grabbed her legs, swung them around his hips, and then pinned her roughly to his desk, paperwork flying everywhere in the process. Jellal touched her tongue with the tip of his, drawing out another groan from her. Erza settled her palm on his chest, creating circular patterns on them, and then started to remove his tie.

Jellal rummaged deeper into her mouth, exploring it with urgency. His mouth was restless, as he continued to ravish her. He teasingly stroked his tongue with hers. Their tongues danced and tangled together in a heated kiss so sensual, her body was practically on fire. She didn't realize their position until the bluenette pulled back.

She looked at his dark eyes, accumulated with love and warmth. He cupped her flushed cheek and stared at her swollen lips, "mmmm," he hummed, his thumb gently caressed the soft skin of her lips. "that looks delicious." he growled, and covered her mouth again with his.

Her hand quickly pulled off his tie and unbuttoned his shirt. The ultramarine shivered and groaned into her mouth, feeling her cold hands press against his chest. He decided to get payback by coaxing her tongue into his mouth and then sucked on it a little. Lieutenant let out a considerably loud moan and writhed beneath him. The action and noise made his pants tighten slightly.

She pulled his hips down to her, hearing him groan and dimly, she noticed that he was just as affected by this as her. He ripped his mouth from hers, trailed sloppy- open mouth kisses across her jawbone and up to her ear. His tongue licked her earlobe, and she gasped, encouraging him to gently him bite down on it. She groaned and dug her fingers into his bare shoulder.

The ultramarine chuckled and licked a trail down to her pulse point. Meanwhile, Erza's hands slid back down to his well-built chest. It traveled downwards and traced the dips between his defined abs. She felt his body shudder with pleasure above her. "Jellal..." she gasped, feeling him nip her pulse point. She jerked with pleasure when he sucked on her skin; intending to leave a mark on her.

Because Erza will always be his.

His lips moved further down to her collarbone. Where his tongue darted out and ran across it. She let out a soft cry, making Jellal smirk proudly.

The redhead's hands glided across his bandaged torso. Her eyes shot open, feeling warm liquid coat her hands. "J-Jellal." she gasped, "Stop for a minute."

The blue haired man pulled back; scanning her face for any discomfort. "What's up?" he asked. He noticed her looking at hands which were covered in crimson liquid.

"Jellal, this is..." she looked at her blood covered hands, "You're bleeding."

The ultramarine pulled his, already opened, shirt back; staring at the blood soaked bandages around his torso. "The wound must have opened up."

Lieutenant sat up, "could you feel it?" she asked, standing up from the desk. "Doesn't it hurt?"

"Not really."

She frowned, "Be honest."

"I seriously cannot feel a thing." He smiled at her, wrapped an arm around her hips and pulled her towards him, "I'll be fine."

Before their lips could meet again, Erza pushed his chest back slightly, "no," she smirked and narrowed her eyes, "we need to get that checked out."

"Oh…" he pouted, slightly disappointed by her decision.

"C'mon," she grabbed his hand, "Let's get you a new bandage."

* * *

"Sting!" A woman with black haired called, "Where did you put the evidence?"

"I left it on you desk, Minerva." The blonde haired officer answered.

"Thanks!" Minerva called, watching Sting disappear.

Sting grabbed another file and walked into the reception. He picked up his coffee mug and brought it to his lips.

"Cheif Inspector Sting Eucliffe." Said a voice.

The Cheif Inspector looked up, "Lieutenant Erza?" He questioned, looking at the redhead, "you ain't suppose to be here."

"As I matter of fact, I am." Erza crossed her arms, "I need to speak to Superintendent Minerva."

"I'm sorry." He narrowed his eyes, "but you can't."

Lieutenant growled, "I'm not asking again."

The Cheif Inspector grabbed his walkie-talkie. "Inspector Rogue. This is Cheif Inspector Sting. Lieutenant Erza is here and she wants to see-"

"Put down that radio, Mr. Eucliffe." A new voice joined the conversation. "Otherwise, things will end up badly for you, and your department."

Sting looked up at the stranger, "Agent Jellal!" He stood up straight and saluted him, "we weren't expecting you."

"Clearly." The blue haired agent smiled and gestured to the redhead beside him, "me and my companion would like to see Minerva Orlando."

"Why?"

"That's classified information."

"do you have any ID verification?"

Jellal reached into his pocket and revealed his TOH security pass. "Give it a good, long stare."

"Thank you." Sting nodded, "please, follow me."

Erza took hold of Jellal's hand, "why do we have to see Minerva?"

"You know Jiemma?"

"Yeah...?"

"Well," he whispered, entwining his fingers with hers, "Minerva is Jiemma's daughter."

Erza's eyes widened, "how unexpected..."

"Indeed."

Sting opened the door to Minerva's office, "my lady, there's someone here to you."

"Who is it?"

"Minerva Orlando."

Jellal walked into her office with Erza following him closely. The bluenette narrowed his eyes, "how long has it been, 7-8 years?"

The black haired woman turned around to face him, "actually, 9 years." She corrected, "you've grown so much from then."

"Likewise." the man spat, "I've grown into a better person than you."

"You're still so cold." She smiled, "I like that in a man."

Erza gripped his hand; almost as if she's telling Minerva to back off. "We're here to ask questions."

"Oh?" She sat down in her chair, "what about?"

"your father." Jellal answered, "we're here to ask you about your father."

Minerva's face darkened, "my father?" She hissed, "why do you want to ask me about my father?"

"You're father is a killer, Orlando."

"No, he isn't."

The bluenette released Erza's hands and slammed them on her desk. Both Minerva and Erza jolted at such a loud noise.

"Look," Jellal snarled, "I have evidence in my office that proves your father was the same person who killed my sister and assaulted Lieutenant Erza."

He removed his hands from her desk, "if you don't tell me anything about your father, I swear I'll have this department shut down. Not only will you lose your job, but your fellow peers as well."

"You can't do that..." the black haired woman gritted, "You haven't got the rights."

"Really?" he moved slightly closer to her, "Shall we test out that theory?"

Minerva scowled and kept her mouth shut. '_There's no way I'm gonna win against this guy..._' she seethed and pointed to the door, "Get out of here."

Erza hissed and took several steps towards her; her eyes burning. Predatory like. Before she could reach her, Jellal wrapped an arm around her body and pulled her towards him. Lieutenant gasped, "What are you doing Jellal?"

"We're leaving." his grip tightened around her, "But, lemme tell you something: If I find out you're behind his as well, I'll put you behind bars with you father and his... friend."

* * *

"Do you think he'll let us in?" Gray asked, standing in front of Jellal's house."

"I don't know!" Juvia answered.

""I'm all fired up!" Natsu roared.

"Shut up!" Lucy scolded, "They'll hear us!"

She looked at the raven haired inspector, "Are you gonna knock, or are you just gonna stand there?"

"I'm sorry." Gray threw his hands up in defense. He turned to the door and knocked loudly on it, "Jellal, It's us!"

A few seconds past and the group heard shuffling before Erza opened it. "Guys?" she raised a brow, "What are you doing here?"

Lucy's mouth dropped slightly, "Erza?" she asked, "Where's Jellal?"

"He's in his room."

"Do you think he'll mind if we came in?!" Natsu asked enthusiastically.

The redhead stood aside, "Not at all."

"Alright!" the group charged into his house and collapsed on the sofa.

"What are you guys doing here?"

"We're here to apologize to Jellal." Gray kicked his feet up on the sofa, "You know... For what happened two days ago."

"Shall I go get him?"

"Sure."

* * *

"Jellal?" Erza opened the door to his room. "Everything okay?"

The agent turned to face her, "Yeah..."

She walked in and shut the door, "It doesn't look like everything's okay."

"Hmph." he grunted, grabbing an image from the desk.

"Jellal," she stood by his side, "What happened between you and Minerva?"

"Almost nine years ago. A year after I was recruited in the army," he began. "I met Minerva. She was a pretty young girl."

"What happened?"

"We were close friends. I saved her during the attack on the air base." the ultramarine sighed, "This is why I was hesitant about this." he ran his fingers through his hair. "Jiemma... I respected that man. And, his daughter, she was a good person."

"Oh..." Lieutenant nodded slowly, "well, I'll leave you to your thoughts."

"Erza, wait." he grabbed her hand, "I don't want you to think that I and Minerva had something between us. Because we don't."

"It's okay." the redhead nodded slowly, "I understand."

He moved his head forward, sealing his lips over hers. Before Erza had the time to kiss him back, he moved from her lips to her ear and gently sucked on it- retrieving a gasp from the woman.

"Erza..." he blew a warm breath on her ear, "I'll give you the opportunity to push me away now... Otherwise, I won't be able to control myself later."

Lieutenant was in daze at what was happening, "Wha- ah!" she moaned, feeling him bite down on her ear.

"Scarlet," The man growled huskily. He darted his tongue out and licked her earlobe, making her shiver with delight. "Let me make love to you."


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Hey everyone! I'm sorry for taking a bit longer than you guys expected, but this chapter was pretty hard to write...**

**Okay, now, please don't kill me for saying this, but this is the last chapter I'm posting before I disappear. Exams are closing in on me and I really want to ace these exams.**

**However, I'll try and get some chapters up while I'm gone...**

**Again, I'm very sorry. I will return though! I'm not ditching any of my stories, and when I return I promise 'The Princess and the Assassin' will be the first story I update!**

**Enough of me talking, here's the lemon!**

**Chapter 19: He could be sinner or a gentleman...**

* * *

"Let me make love to you."

Those words sent shivers down her spin. She gasped again, feeling his warm tongue glide across her collarbone. "Jellal…" she breathed, "we have guest downstairs."

The bluenette stopped his teasing and pulled his head back, "guest?" He asked, looking at the time, "what would they be doing here at this hour?"

"It's Natsu and the others," Erza answered, "they said they needed to speak to you."

Jellal released the redhead, "in that case..." he sighed, walking towards the door, "I'll be going now."

"Okay." She nodded, "I'm gonna have an early nig-."

"Don't think that you're off the hook, Titania." The ultramarine turned to face her, and his eyes suddenly darkened with desire. He smirked, "I'm coming back. And when I do, you better be ready to play."

"Challenging me to a game, eh Fernandes?" She crossed her arms over her chest and grinned, "games are my specialty."

The man's smirk widened; impressed by her confidence. "We'll see, lieutenant." He growled, "we'll see…"

* * *

Jellal dragged himself down the stairs and then stepped into the living room. He was surprised to find it empty. "Natsu?" He called out, "Gray? Juvia? Lucy?"

_No answer._

"That's odd…" he whispered to himself, walking into the kitchen, "Erza said they were here..."

The blue haired man looked around cautiously, "Gray! Lucy! Juvia! Natsu!" He repeated the same words over and over and over again, hoping to hear even the slightest of sounds from his friends, but there was nothing. No speech, no movement, not even a sigh could be heard from within the dark room. Thus, he stood there, alone.

After a while of standing in complete darkness, Jellal headed back up the stairs, "Naughty Lieutenant..."

* * *

Erza stood on the same spot for a few minutes, wondering when he'll return. "Hm…" she turned to the toilet, "he's probably not coming back."

"What makes you think that?" Out of nowhere, Jellal pushed Lieutenant up against the wall. He grinned triumphantly, "there's no one downstairs. You were lying to me."

She narrowed her eyes, "no, I didn't! They were downstairs waiting for you!"

"No. They weren't." He moved his face closer to hers; his lips caressing her cheeks as he made his way to her ear. "I recall myself asking whether or not you're ready to play a game with me. I do hope you are."

"Bring it on."

Jellal pulled his head back and crushed his mouth against hers. She moaned lightly with pleasure, feeling his tongue swirl around her own. Before the redhead knew it, she was lying on her back with him pinning her to his bed. "I thought you said you were ready?" he leaned over to capture her mouth again.

Once the agent released her hands, She let her fingers dance across his shirt while thoughts of tenderness and desire rummaged within her. He had been through a lot in his life, so she decided to let him know that she was there for him.

_Always._

She shifted her hands under his shirt, feeling his hard, corded muscles beneath her soft palms. He threw his head back and grunted softly. Lieutenant pushed him up and grabbed the hem of his shirt. "Why won't this shirt come off?"

Jellal chuckled and grabbed hold of her hands; guiding her to the buttons of his shirt. There, the scarlet haired beauty started to unbutton it. Once they were unbuttoned, a small breeze from the slightly opened window entered their room and fluttered his shirt. Erza froze a little, her eyes locked onto the ultramarine's lean body. He smirked at her reaction, shrugged off his shirt and threw it across his room.

Erza gently placed her hands on him and explored his bare, muscular chest. She moved down to play around with the defined muscles of his torso for a moment, down to the bandages and then lower to his Adonis belt. She felt him shiver under her soft touches and he groaned quietly.

The ultramarine pounced on her and their lips locked once more. His strong hands rested upon Titania's blouse, gently removing the buttons that secured it to her body, Jellal broke kiss and gulped, "are you sure you wanna do this,?" he whispered in a nervous tone.

"I thought you said you won't be able to control yourself?" She asked, smiling slightly.

"I did... I just don't want you to feel uncomfortable." He took a shaky breath, "so, you sure about this?"

"I'm very sure...you are my first and only love, my very own. I want you to see me...all of me" she blushed as her admirer undid the final button. He slowly moved back to her face forced a faint smile, even under all this pressure, he knew deep down this is what he wanted.

He gripped her blouse and slowly removed it from her body, looking down at her soft, pale skin. Erza noticed his eyes darken, as he continued to stare at her body. He looked back at her face. She blushed madly and immediately turned away. The agent cupped her cheek and pecked it, "don't be nervous, Scarlet. You look amazing. More beautiful than I expected." Hearing the sincerity in his voice, she turned to him and gave him a nervous smile.

Jellal could feel himself blushing; however, he had to carry on. He couldn't possibly stop now. He wrapped an arm around the woman's bare torso and pressed his body down on hers. Erza squirmed at the contact, "Jellal…" she breathed, wrapping her arms around his neck. She pulled him down and their lips touched and their bodies connected.

Erza's face immediately became flushed as his tongue made its way into her mouth and began teasingly rubbing her own. Jellal pressed himself harder on her, his chiseled stomach against her torso. The redhead gasped into his mouth when she felt the tips of his fingers stroking her calf muscle and up to her thighs. After a while, Jellal totally forgot about his injuries, all that mattered to him was her.

The man's hands began to reach around his partner's small, petite back. His fingers slowly and gently working their way to the clasp of her bra. "Are you sure you want this?" Jellal panted as he broke the kiss. "I'm sure" she replied, with even more confidence than she had prior, "I want you Jellal..."

With a look of concentration, the agent undid the clasp on the bra and quickly removed it from her shoulders. The ultramarine peered down and automatically became flushed. She lied beneath him, her top completely bare to his eyes. Feeling a little embarrassed, Erza folded her arms over chest.

Jellal's eyes softened and he placed a hand above her arm, "no need to be embarrassed." He slowly removed her arms from her chest and pinned them above her head, "I want to see you."

"okay..." she whispered, looking into his dark orbs.

"I can make you warm, lieutenant," whispered the agent in a seductive tone as he looked up into her warm eyes.

Jellal's lips moistened as crazy thoughts began flowing through his mind. He looked at mistress once more and studied her closely.

Everything was perfect, her petite nose, her big dark eyes, and her hypnotizing scarlet hair. He licked his lips and lightly grasped her right breast, squeezing it gently. Erza gasped at the pleasurable sensation, urging him to squeeze a little harder. "Mmm... so soft…" he grunted in a playful tone.

She moaned, feeling his tongue lick the base of her breast and up to get sensitive pink nubs. The agent flicked his tongue over the hardened nipple and she screamed out in pleasure, "Jellal!" She arched her back and tangled her fingers into his silky blue hair, "oh Jellal!"

The man groaned, "that's it, Scarlet." He murmured, giving her nub a slow lick, making her let out a breathy moan, "I want you to moan for me... just for me..."

Erza jolted and squirmed beneath him, his tongue dancing on her sensitive pink spots. She tried to prevent a scream from escaping her throat, but his other hand rolled her nub between his thumb and index finger and she cried out his name. Erza felt an angry throb between her legs and rubbed her thighs together to relieve the pressure.

He released her breast and licked a trail down to the hem of her skirt. Meanwhile, she peered down at his trousers, looking for the slightest sign of enjoyment. Her eyes noticed the bulge on his pants. Erza's delicate hand made its way down her lover's thigh and eventually onto the bulge, caressing it ever so gently with her palm. He growled loudly and grabbed her hands, "not so fast Lieutenant." He licked her ear, "my, my, you're so eager."

"But, Jellal-"

He silenced her with a brief kiss. "Please, let me show you how much I love you, Erza". Without a single word, Jellal placed soft kisses on her chin, moved down to the valley between her breast and then to her navel. He looked at her skirt and then back up to her flushed face.

Her legs were together and she began to blush, she'd never done this before and it was beginning to get the better of her. "My love, don't be afraid. Like I said: I want to show you how much I love you," muttered the dark-eyed lover in a confident tone.

He gulped, as he'd never done such a thing with a girl before. Erza nodded and Jellal took a deep breath before closing his eyes and carefully removing her navy skirt from her waist, revealing her black matching lacy undergarments. He looked back into his lover's eyes and waited once again for a sign of consent.

With yet another nod, the bluenette ever so carefully placed his hand on the wet spot on her panties. Her hips jerked and she groaned loudly. He caressed her through her dark lingerie until eventually, they were off completely.

She moaned as the agent's hands made contact with her again. She could feel every single minuscule movement from his fingers as they explored her womanhood. Eventually, Jellal plucked up the courage to go a little deeper in an effort to pleasure his one true love even more. Slowly, his slender fingers found his was to her sensitive nub and slowly drew circles around it.

Erza moaned once more as her back arched ever so slightly and every muscle in her body tensed. With every single stride of his finger, the elegant girl melted feeling a sensation she had never felt before in every single part of her very being. The experience was foreign, yet, at the same time it felt so natural for the both of them, as if...it was just meant to be.

"Jellal… please..."

"Please what?" Jellal teased, as he worked his fingers between her wet folds, he played at her clit, rubbing it between his two fingers. "Mmm… oh, Jellal!" She screamed.

He could feel the redhead quiver under the touch, so he decided to press a little hard squeezing her clit between his fingers and a jolt of pleasure shot trough the Lieutenant. She bit her plump lips. Jellal only laughed and nuzzled Lieutenant's neck.

"Please... Jellal," she groaned through clenched teeth as he continued his teasing. "Jellal... just, please. Stop teasing me..."

Her pleaded moans fell on deaf ears as the bluenette worked harder on her folds, placing his free hand on her breast and slowly kneading it, "Why stop now," The man purred into her ear just before sinking his teeth into it. "when the fun's just beginning?"

His fingers glided to her entrance and he carefully inserted his smooth index finger. Erza screamed, feeling the agent's hands work faster, more vigorously, curling inside, their ends dragging along her walls.

The ultramarine slowly positioned his hand as he dug his fingers deeper, curling and uncurling as he massaged the Lieutenant's moist walls.

As the man pleasured his woman, he could feel himself growing harder- so hard the pain was almost too intense. Somehow, it felt like the right time to introduce himself to her once and for all.

After all, he had loved her for an extremely long time, but, at the exact same point, he didn't want to harm her. He felt that by committing the act, he may hurt her or cause her unnecessary pain which he definitely didn't want to see his one true love go through.

But, secretly...that's all Erza wanted. Her romance levels were through the roof and she was feeling the best she had ever felt. Her one burning desire was that he would become one with her once and for all and place himself inside her. She wanted the two of them to share the pleasure together, however, she was way too nervous and shy to admit that.

As Jellal's fingers began pumping in and out of her, he could feel an intense discomfort in his pants. But, he didn't want to stop. He wanted to love her and show her how much he did.

He soon left her ear and made his way towards her stomach, kissing it once making contact. As he gently thrust, the agent kissed her lower abdomen, getting closer and closer to her womanhood with every single hot kiss.

The utter love between the two of them was absolutely incredible; the two were in sync with each other, as if, in a way, they were just one person. Soon, his smooth pink lips reached his lover's clit and he began to work it with his mouth in an erotic manner.

Erza's body contorted in complete delight as she was pleasured, every spasm being stronger than the last. "Shit, Jellal!"

He could only smirk as his hands and mouth deftly work on his lover. The man could feel her walls clenching, tightening on his fingers a sign of her edging closer, and closer towards her peak.

Just as she was about to climax he pulled his fingers out. The scarlet haired beauty mewled at the loss and turned to face her lover; a confused needing expression on her face. "I..." Jellal whispered, unable to ignore the pain coming from his pants, "I don't think I could handle this anymore.…"

Erza pushed him up and placed her hands on his chest and down to his belt. She unbuckled it and pulled his pants down, along with his boxers, releasing his pulsing manhood. Erza gulped at his size and looked at him. He smiled nervously at her, "you know.…" he spoke shakily, "we can stop if you want..."

"No..." Erza wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down, "I want you Jellal..." Their lips melted and her hands reached down to grasp him. He growled into her mouth. Erza grew more confident and slid her hand up his shaft.

Jellal tore his mouth from her and buried his face into the crooks of her neck, muffling his cries of pleasure. The constant acts of love between the two of them had made them grow even fonder for each other. Jellal grabbed her hand and pinned it beside her head, "if you keep teasing me, I won't last long."

"J...J... Jellal"

"Yes, Erza." replied Jellal in baited breath.

"Do...do you really love me?"

The agent looked into Erza's deep dark eyes. "Of course I do Erza," said Jellal, as passion raged inside him. The scarlet woman pulled her lover closer to her. She looked at the sheets and then threw her eyes back up at him.

"Well...show me then" She smiled and once again threw her eyes back down to the soft sheets, out of pure embarrassment.

Jellal's eyes lit up with delight at hearing what he had just heard. This is what he had wanted all along and he finally knew for sure that this is what she wanted too.

He gently grabbed Erza's petite hands, looked into her eyes and whispered "That's what I've wanted to do all along" as he smirked while at the same time looking ever so shy.

She smiled with delight and grabbed hold of him, pulling herself as close as possible to him. Their lips touched once more and they engaged in the most passionate event of love either of them had ever experienced. They both knew what was to come next and they both wanted it so badly.

While the lovers kissed, Jellal spread her legs and positioned himself in front of her. She broke the kiss, looked into his eyes and gave a sweet smile, one of innocence and purity, even despite everything she had done so far. She placed her hands on his chest took a deep breath, "Jellal... I love you."

A smile spread across his thin lips, "I love you too, Erza." Hesitatingly at first, he entered her slowly, breaking the barrier and claiming her virginity. She cried out, tears flowing in her eyes instantaneously. His eyes shot open, "Erza," he groaned, stopping his movements "I never knew you were a-"

"That doesn't matter..." she gasped, "please, just keep going..."

He moved his face down and kissed her tears away. As gently as he could, he pushed himself deeper into her. The scarlet woman gasped once more and threw her heads backward in a mixture of delight and agony.

This was her first time and despite her putting on a brave face, it hurt quite a lot. Yet, at the same time, this was the best thing she had ever experienced. This is all she wanted, she was finally at one with her hero and they could enjoy each other together.

"With pain," he murmured, pulling out of her. He pushed himself back into her and she yelped, "comes pleasure..."

Soon, the initial pain wore off, replaced by euphoria surging through her body, eliciting a moan from her lips. His mouth came down on hers in a searing kiss as he thrust into her. She felt him pumping in and out of her, a red color on her cheeks as she felt something edifying inside of her.

Her hips came up to meet his as he began to slow his pace down. "Jellal!" She arched her back, growing slightly impatient, "go faster!"

"But, Erza." He growled, feeling her walls convulsing around him,"slow's always best..."

"No, it's not..." Erza hissed.

"Very well..." he picked up his pace a little and she groaned. Jellal moaned upon entrance, he was sensitive. Although he was in utter delight, the sensitivity was immense; however, he put on a brave face as well, in order not to dissatisfy his one true love.

After a while, the two of them were getting the hang of it. Jellal began to plunge deeper and deeper into the Scarlet woman, exploring the contours of her beautiful body. With each thrust, the both of them felt as if they had died and gone to heaven.

The warmth generated by their bodies was truly amazing, who'd have thought that the human body was capable of such beauty. Both of them were amateurs, yet, neither of them seemed to care.

All that mattered was that he could fully appreciate her and show his true love for her in the most intimate way possible.

"Jellal! I- I'm close!" She whimpered, as she closed her seemed to further arouse him as she felt him twitch inside of her. She wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him deeper into her. She then felt herself almost reaching her peak and pulled his head down.

Jellal crushed his lips on her, as he quickened his pace more. He swallowed his lover's eager cries as he brought Erza closer and closer to her climax.

"JELLAL!" She screamed into his mouth, as she felt her body tighten and a wave of pleasure washed over her, her hand gripped his soft blue locks. She held onto his body for dear life, enjoying the feeling washing through her. She slowly came back to reality as she heard Jellal moan her own name and felt him stiffen.

He held himself up for a few minutes but collapsed on her; all his energy drained from him. As they breathed heavily, the force of intimacy brought them together. After he slowly pulled himself out of her, Jellal wrapped an arm around Erza's waist and held her close, never wanting to let go. They felt their souls melting into one entity. "That felt amazing..." Erza gasped out, still trying to catch her breath.

"Yeah, it was." He murmured.

"Jellal... tell me, " she whispered, "was that your first time?"

"Hm… yes, it was" he answered, "I was just not interested in finding love... until I met you."

A few minutes passed and the two lovers lay sprawled out on the bed, Erza curled up in a petite ball beneath the agent's strong, muscular arm. They faced each other, their bodies intertwined in a heavenly bond that no known force could break.

The scarlet woman looked into his eyes to find them looking back at her. "What?" She muttered as she laid her head upon Jellal's strong, defined chest.

"Does there need to be a reason for me to look at you?" smiled the bluenette who lied there in utter delight at the situation that had just happened.

"Well, no...but still" replied the scarlet woman as she giggled up at the blue haired man.

"I'm sorry." He grinned, "you're so beautiful, I can't turn my eyes away from you."

She punched him lightly, "lame pick up line…"

Jellal pulled her body closer to his, "I love you so much." He whispered in her ear. Erza smiled. Those words…that was all it took.

"I love you, too." She yawned.

He placed a hand on her cheek, "sleep now..."

* * *

**Eep! That was bad, wasn't it?**

**Lemons are so damn hard to write! I'm just gonna go and die of embarrassment again XD**

**Well... This isn't goodbye my friends! I shall see you again soon!**


	20. Chapter 20

**I'm soo sorry for disappearing like that! I was really busy with exams and other stuff... Since I have some free time now, I decided to write up the next chapter. Though, I'm not back officially, I'm just having a little break.**

**I hope this chapter is enough to repent for my super long disappearance...**

**Please excuse my spelling, punctuation, and grammar, I'm kinda tired...**

**Chapter 20: Consequences **

* * *

Jellal groaned as he woke up; the sun shining a steady beam of light onto his eyes. A small smile played on his lips as memories of last night's events began rushing back to him. With his eyes shut tight, he tried to return back to his slumber. But found it impossible.

Erza murmured something in her sleep and nestled her face into his bare chest. The bluenette opened his eyes slowly and glanced down at the scarlet haired beauty. The lines of stress and pain had smoothed and virtually disappeared. Her eyelids were closed and her eyelashes fluttered against the dim light of dawn. Her breathing deep and relaxed, all the muscles in her face and body were totally at peace, like a baby in its first hours of slumber.

Not a twitch, not a spasm, barely any movement of her chest rising and falling with each intake of air such was the depth of her oblivion. Her body was totally at peace, at rest, at one with itself, rejuvenating the mind and muscles.

The bluenette lifted his hand and gently glided his fingers across the soft skin on her back. She sighed and shuffled on him, entwining her legs with his. His hand reached her face and he gently pressed his index finger on her nose. The redhead scrunched it up and her eyes opened slowly. Her chocolate brown orbs gazed up at him. She smiled, "morning..." Lieutenant murmured lazily.

"Morning," Jellal replied, cupping her cheek, "how was your sleep?" He asked.

"Best I've had in ages."

He chuckled softly and sighed, feeling Erza's hand on his chest. He peeped an eye open to see what she was doing. The scarlet haired woman was looking at his dog tags.

_Last name: Fernandez._

_First name: Jellal._

_Rank: Sergeant Major._

_Number: 578-148-269._

"Very interesting." She hummed, burying her face into his chest. "You're a very interesting man, Jellal Fernandez."

"I can say the same thing to you, Erza Scarlet," Jellal said with a childish grin on his handsome face. Erza rolled her eyes and sat up, wrapping a blanket around her exposed body. She stood up from the bed and walked over to the table by the bathroom door. The bluenette turned to face her, "Is there something wrong, Lieutenant?"

"Well, I was thinking about both Jiemma and Simon..." Erza trailed off and turned to Jellal quickly. "What if there's more than two of them?"

The agent knitted his brows together in curiosity and looked up at the ceiling, "There could be a slight possibility," he replied, his eyes going back to Erza's. "Though, I'm still unsure as to whether that would be a way to decipher the situation." He lifted his left arm and leaned on it, baring his perfectly toned arms, muscled chest and his well-defined torso.

Erza gulped upon seeing so much of his exposed skin and felt her face redden as the blanket around his waist slid down a little. "What's with the fancy talk?" She asked, "you could have just said: 'I don't think that's the case' instead of showing off with all those words."

"Ah well, I like speaking with fancy words, my dear."

"whatever."

The bluenette smirked when he noticed her face turned as red as her hair. "What's the matter Erza?" He questioned, sitting upright. He looked at the time and grinned from ear to ear '5:30 am.'

"Nothin' is wrong."

"Come here, scarlet." He growled sexily while holding out his hand. Erza blushed harder and reached out to grasp his hand. She suddenly squeaked when he pulled her towards him and into his lap. He pressed his lips to her ear, "Looks like we have quite some time to spare, lieutenant. Perhaps we should play the game we played last night?" He whispered suggestively.

She shivered with anticipation and moaned softly when she felt his warm tongue slid down the side of her ear and down to her neck. Lieutenant gritted her teeth and dug her fingers into his inky blue hair. Her breath hitched in her throat when he sucked on a sensitive spot on her skin.

His hands held the duvet around her body and slowly pulled it down until it reached her waist. He quickly slipped his hands into the blanket and gripped her butt possessively.

"Jellal..." she groaned.

Hearing his name said in such a way caused his body to twitch with impatience. His hand released her gluteal muscles and went to caress her exposed upper half, being careful not to touch her breast. The blue haired man liberated his lips from her neck, admiring the hickey he just gave her.

He beamed at the woman, "Erza, I never thought I'd see a woman with such beauty in my life." He murmured, lifting one of his hands to her face. He tilted her chin up and watched as the woman blushed again.

She chuckled softly, "I don't think that's the case..." she said shyly, turning her gaze from his olivine eyes. "I'm not sure whether that analysis is true or not."

"Look at me." He commanded gently. Erza's dark orbs averted back to his forest green ones. He brought his face closer so that their lips were millimeters away. "There's nothing more rare than a woman being herself; comfortable in her own perfect imperfection. That's what makes you special, Erza."

Erza's eyes widened a little and then she smiled, "Oh Jellal," she breathed, feeling very flattered, "I don't know what to say to that."

"You don't need to say anything..." he murmured, closing the gap between their faces. Their lips connected and Erza flicked her tongue against his lips. He moaned and responded by opening his mouth to let her in.

While she was distracted, the blue haired man flipped her onto her back so that he was on top of her. Before they could go any further, something began ringing. He ripped his lips from hers and looked at the phone vibrating on the table beside his bed.

"Maybe they'll stop?" Erza asked, watching his expression turn sour. He pouted and shook his head, "I don't think they will." he grumbled, extending his arm to reach it. However, Lieutenant flipped them over so that she was straddling his hips.

"Erza!" he groaned, feeling her shift above him, "Don't move!"

Erza cocked her eyebrow in amusement, "Or what?" she mocked, noticing the thin piece of fabric between the two; even the slightest movements can cause Jellal to go haywire.

She smirked proudly and crossed her arms, "You're no fun."

"I never knew you could be so childish!" he hissed, reaching for his phone.

"I'm sorry, but the person you're calling is currently unavailable right now. Please try again later." He spoke, trying to do his best impression of the voice mail service's voice.

_"What if I don't want to call back later?"_Asked Ultear's voice from the other side of the line.

Jellal rolled his eyes, "well then, you can go and cry in the corner of your room."

_"Funny."_

"Yup." he sighed, "What's up?"

_"I found out a little bit more about Jiemma."_

"Go on..."

_"You see, we think he's working with a criminal gang called 'Succubus eyes'."_ she explained. Jellal heard her taking a sip from her coffee, _"We thought that it was only Jiemma and Simon behind this, but we were wrong. If it was just them, how could they-"_

"-get access to the Fairy Tail police department. They must have a mastermind behind it. Even Simon is unable to access parts of the building without having a special type of authorization." he cut in, "Though, I highly doubt Simon and Jiemma are smart enough to create their own security pass..."

_"Same."_ she agreed, _"We're gonna discuss this with President Toma later on during the meeting. You're coming, right?"_

Jellal sat up and Erza stared at him with confusion written on her face.

"I'll be there, don't worry," he assured. The scarlet haired woman frowned and pushed him back down, causing him to gasp loudly.

_"Everything okay, Jelly?"_ The raven haired asked, concern lacing through her every word._ "You sound hurt."_

"I'm fine," he growled, attempting to free himself from Erza's rapture. She suddenly grabbed a pair of handcuff from the desk and cuffed his left wrist above his head.

Jellal's eyes widened and he began squirming beneath the redhead. He groaned loudly when he felt the woman's hips pressing against his, locking him down on the bed.

_"You sure you're okay?"_

"I'M FINE!" he bellowed, "I have to call you back, I'll see you in the meeting later." he mumbled quickly, declining the call.

He strained against the shackles, "Erza, I have to go to work."

The Lieutenant leaned towards his face and smiled cheekily, "Your fault you woke me up in the first place." she cooed, pressing her lips against his neck.

She sucked on his skin lightly and he moaned with pleasure, which encouraged her to gently rock her hips. He spasmed a little and cried out.

"Erza, as much as I want to go another round, I can't." He gasped.

Erza looked up at him with eyes filled with disappointment. He smiled at her expression, "I have to go."

"Fine..." she huffed, removing herself from his waist. She grabbed the keys from the side and un-cuffed his hands.

Looking at her beautiful face made him feel a little guilty. He looked at the time and then back to her lustful brown eyes.

He pulled her back on top of him, "We have some time," he whispered seductively, licking the lobe of her ear, "Why don't you show me you got?"

* * *

"What took you so long?" Ultear scolded watching Erza and Jellal enter the building. "I expected you here fifteen minutes ago!"

"Tell that to the traffic." Jellal said, walking past her and towards his office. He turned to Erza, "I have to attend a meeting now, I _might_ be able to have lunch with you and the other later. It depends on what time the meeting ends.'

Erza nodded her head, "Sure, that's fine." The two turned around a corner and continued forward towards the agents office. "So, do you want me to do anything while we wait?"

He stopped walking and nodded slowly, "I want you to find out who and what is Succubus eye." he ordered, giving her a piece of paper, "Then, if you're able to find out who they are, run a background check on every single member."

"Is that all?" she asked with a small smile.

"Yeah."

Suddenly, there was screaming and shouting coming from the corridors.

"ERZA!" Natsu and Gray called, rummaging down the hallways and knocking over several people in the process. Erza face-palmed, "They're such idiots..."

The bluenette chuckled and looked down at his watch, "I must leave now." he murmured, beaming down at her. He placed a kiss on her forehead and turned away, strolling down to the conference room.

Both the pinkette and ravenette stopped in front of the redhead and grinned at her.

"Yo, what happened to you last night?" Natsu asked loudly, slamming his fist together, "You just disappeared!"

"yeah!" Gray pouted sadly, "We waited for you to come downstairs!"

The lieutenant shot the two a deathly glare, "Is there a need to scream at me?" she asked angrily, a dark aura surrounding her. "I'm right beside you."

The two hugged each other and squeaked, "We're sorry!"

"It's good to have our Titania back!" Lucy chimed in.

"Yeah," Natsu said, pursing his lips together, "It is indeed."

"Is that sarcasm?" Erza asked, narrowing her eyes at him. Natsu jumped in fear and shook his head furiously, "No! It's not!"

"Idiot..." Gray mumbled under his breath, crossing his arms in front of his bare chest.

"Gray, your clothes." The redhead reminded. The raven haired man looked down at himself and yelped, "How did this happen?"

"You're such a pervert!" The pink haired detective chortled, pointing at Gray's half naked figure.

Gray bumped his forehead against his, "You better shut the fuck up, pinky."

"What are you gonna do, ice princess?"

Lucy sighed and shook her head, "Those two never change, do they?" she grimaced.

Erza smiled at the third grade detective and gave her a piece of paper, "Jellal wanted us to find out what 'Succubus eye' is." she affirmed, "He said it might help us find Jiemma."

The blonde took the piece of paper and smirked at the scarlet haired woman, "So, tell me Erza; is he good?" she asked with a sly grin on her face.

The Lieutenant immediately began blushing, "What are you talking about?!"

"You can't fool me that easily, Erza Scarlet." she declared, rolling her eyes at the redhead.

Erza was just like Jellal, a really bad liar. No matter how hard Erza tried, Lucy could easily see right through her. "Now, let me see... Tousled hair, tired eyes, swaying a little while walking-"

"I had a rough night," Erza proclaimed quickly, pretending to yawn. She hoped she fooled her friend, but all Lucy did was shook her head and laughed at her.

"He must be _really_ good, since he's able to tire you out like this," she gestured to her hair, "C'mon Erza, admit it!"

Lieutenant raised a brow, "I'd rather not." she huffed, turning to Natsu and Gray who were rolling around on the floor, fighting.

She walked towards them and clapped her hands, "Okay, stop fighting now!"

The latter stood up from the ground and slammed their foreheads together, both their bodies covered in bruises and cuts.

"You jackass! You really think you could beat me?!" The pink haired man roared loudly.

"I can make you cry like a baby any time i want!" Gray countered.

"I told you to stop-"

Both Natsu and Gray turned to the redhead, "SHUT UP!" They boomed in unison, both throwing their fist towards the woman's face.

Lucy and the people around her cried out in fear as their fist connected with Erza's face. The scarlet haired woman fell back and landed on the ground.

The two stood in silence for a while, thinking about what just happened.

Lieutenant stood up and glowered at the two, "Well..." she hissed, slowly walking towards them.

The two screamed with fright and hugged each other quickly, "Erza!" They cried, "What are you doing here?!"

Erza cracked her knuckles and narrowed her eyes, causing the two scream with terror.

* * *

"Jellal Fernandez," Said a tall, elderly man with gray hair and a long beard, "Toma spoke to me about you. He said that you have a reputation of making brilliant guesses that turn out to be true." he announced, "I don't see how."

"Believe me, Master Org, "Ultear murmured, "I used to think that he was a phony. But, when he actually makes predictions that turn out to be true, it's pretty impressive.

There was suddenly a loud scream and the group turned their heads to the door. "There's someone in trouble!" Lahar cried.

From the very end of the table, Jellal sat, smiling at the people around him, "You mustn't worry about that," He chuckled, "Those are only people messin' around."

"Are you certain?"

"Yes," The bluenette clarified, "Nothing to worry about." he assured and sat up from his slumped position.

"Now, I was told about what was happening with Jiemma and Simon. I believe they are planning something bigger than what we're thinking."

"What?" Org, Lahar, Doranbolt and Toma gasped, "That's impossible!"

"They're in partnership with a group named 'Succubus eye'." Jellal carried on, "We thought that Simon and Jiemma are our only suspects. However, a few days ago, a spy from the Fiorean Army returned from the Pergrande Kingdom. The images they showed me were strange."

"Strange?"

"You see, instead of going about on their daily life, there's a group that is, as far as I'm concerned, building a large weapon." The Agent elucidated, "The spy told us that these people are on the move. They don't stay around in one place. I don't think these people are from the group 'Succubus eye'. However, I believe there's a group behind this mayhem that controls the Succubus eye gang."

"Why do you think Simon and Jiemma are involved with them?" Toma asked, "They're at Pergrande Kingdom, Simon and Jiemma live in Fiore."

"Well, can't you see the links between each murders?" he asked, staring at everyone with wide eyes. Everyone looked at each other, thinking what the hell's going through the bluenette's mind.

"No?" The blue haired agent asked again, "Everyone that was murdered worked with the secret services or were a part of a police bureau."

"You don't mean they're trying to-"

"They are." Jellal broke in, earning fearful expressions from the councilmen and the others who were there. "They're planning to take us out, one by one."

"Why?"

"The answer is simple. So they could get the fair share of the money and silence us about spreading the news about Face and E.N.D."

Ultear felt her heart thud in her chest, "What is Face and E.N.D?"

"They're the weapons I saw in the pictures. Bombs." Jellal interpreted, "Simon and Jiemma are taking us down individually. We must be careful."

The room was filled with silence. The people within were too afraid to speak since Jellal had told them everything they needed to know.

* * *

Erza looked up and watched as Jellal slowly walked out the conference room, his head lowered and his footsteps heavy. His eyes locked onto hers and she saw it again- the pain and sadness that she thought was long gone.

"Jellal?"

Sensing something wrong with the agent, Gray, Natsu, Juvia and Lucy rushed over to him. "Yo Jellal, You okay buddy?" Gray asked, placing a hand on his shoulder. He gently shook him, "Hey!"

The scarlet haired woman bonked his head, "Be careful! He's obviously thinking about something!"

"Sorry..."

_They mustn't know about it. _Jellal thought. He looked at his friends and then to Erza, _She mustn't know too. What if they get hurt?_

Erza rubbed his shoulders soothingly, "Don't worry, what ever you want to tell us, just say."

The ultramarine blinked several time.

_Jiemma and Simon are gonna try to kill the others, because of Tartarus..._

"Jellal!" Natsu screamed, snapping him out his deep thoughts, "ARE YOU OKAY?!"

"Shut up you idiot!" Gray shouted, closing his fist in anger, "Did you not hear what Erza just said?"

"Don't tell me to shut up, Stripper!"

"You son of a-"

"Enough!" Erza roared, her voice harsh and aggressive. "I've already punished you guys for fighting. Do you want to be punished again?"

"No, Erza!" They bowed numerous times, "We'll behave."

"Erza," Jellal finally spoke, "Did you find out anything about Succubus eyes?"

"Yeah," She answered, handing him a file, "Surprisingly, there's only a few members within the group." She looked at Jellal's pale face, his eyes covered by his azure hair. "Jellal, If there's something wrong, why not tell us?"

"There's nothing wrong, Erza." The man reassured her by pulling her into his embrace.

"Jellal?" Erza questioned, obviously shocked by his sudden movement.

"I'm sorry," he apologized and released her, "I wasn't thinking."

"In that case..." Natsu whispered, "LET'S GO EAT!"

* * *

"You should've saw his face, Juvia."Gray murmured, "He was afraid of something."

Th blue haired woman gently dabbed some alcohol onto the wounds on his cheek, "I know, Jellal's never usually afraid of anything." she acknowledged, sticking a plaster on his forehead, "Knowing Jellal, he probably won't say anything to us."

"That's true." The inspector grumbled. He suddenly winced when she held the alcohol against a fresh wound.

She scoffed at him, "stop being such a baby!"

"It hurts!"

"It's your fault you received all these lacerations on your body!" she scolded, "You never learn from your mistakes! Always picking a fight with Natsu-"

All of a sudden, the door bell rang.

Juvia stood up and placed all the cotton she was using on the table.

Before she could, however, Gray seized her wrist and shook his head, "I'll go," he interjected, "stay here."

Juvia nodded and watched him head tot he door. Gray placed a hand on the door knob and opened it, "Natsu, I said I can't be bothered to fight y-"

He froze upon seeing who was _really _the door.

"Hello, Gray," Jiemma smirked diabolically. Gray quickly reached for his gun, but Jiemma reached for his own gun and shot Gray in the stomach. The ravenette cried out in pain and fell back.

Hearing the gunshot, Juvia immediately rushed to the door, holding out a gun in front of her. To her horror, she saw Gray on the floor, gasping for air while holding the bullet wound on his stomach.

He groaned and spewed out mouthfuls of blood, "Juvia, get outta 'ere now..." he spluttered.

"Pity." Said a cold voice. Jiemma revealed himself again and slammed his gun into Juvia's temple, knocking her out cold.

He looked down at Gray who was starting to bleed to death and pressed his foot against his wound.

Gray let out a strangled cry and gurgled even more blood. The large man grinned and pointed a gun at Gray's head.

"That looks painful, " he envied mockingly, "Perhaps I should help you with that..."

* * *

**I'm ending it there folks! Sorry about that!**

**If you guys are confused about what they were talking about in the meeting, you're suppose to be feeling confused. I deliberately made it confusing so that you guys don't get what the hell 's going on. If i didn't then... I totally suck!**

**I'm afraid that the next chapter won't be coming out until mid-June. **

**Life's just gotten so much busier...**

**Until next time then!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Hey, everyone! My exams are finally over! However, that doesn't mean I'll be able to update as frequently as before because I've still got a lot of things I have to do.**

**Please excuse the grammar, to be honest, English is not my first language.**

**Anyway, here's the next chapter!**

**Chapter 21: Abduction**

* * *

_It was a warm and sunny evening when Gray Fullbuster decided to go on a walk out in Magnolia. The sun was just swimming below the skyline when he reached his ideal destination; the river. He remembered the first time he met Erza Scarlet. On this very spot was the place he first laid eyes on the redhead. At first, things didn't go too well for the two since Gray decided to strip at the wrong time._

_He chuckled at the memory of him getting beaten up by her. She was scary. Nonetheless, she was beautiful. His smile was soon replaced with a frown, 'Erza,' he thought, 'I'm sorry for letting you and the others down.' He felt hot tears flowing down his cheeks as the sun dipped lower into the horizon._

_"So you're gonna give up, eh?" A stern voice asked. _

_Upon hearing the mundane voice, the raven-haired man turned around quickly and was greeted with familiar pink hair and a pair glittering onyx eyes. The pinkette scoffed, "How unlike you. You never give up when we fight."_

_"Natsu," Gray gasped, shocked upon seeing him. "What are you doing here?"_

_"The fact that Gray's here isn't that important." A foreign voice spoke. Blue hair became visible to Gray's eyes and his eyes widened in bewilderment. Jellal smiled softly, "Natsu's right. You never usually give up."_

_"That's different." Gray snapped. He pursed his lips and turned his head away from them. "This... This is a fight I can never win. I've let everyone down..."_

_"That's nonsense, Gray. You should know." The powerful feminine voice caused chills to creep up his spine. His navy eyes met her scarlet hair and his heart throbbed. _

_Erza slowly walked up to him, "What happened to the Gray that always wanted to fight Natsu?" She asked, grabbing hold of him. Gray felt her warm palms press against his cold, bare shoulder._

_Her touch almost felt real._

_"I'm not fighting." He retaliated, "What's to come is almost inevitable."_

_"You might've lost hope within," Lieutenant whispered. She gently held Gray's chin and tilted his chin up so that he was looking directly into the redhead's dazzling brown orbs. "But remember this: I will never lose hope in you. You understand?"_

_"Erza..."_

_"Live, Gray."_

_Her voice, which uttered his name, repeated in his mind. Like a prayer, it restated over and over again._

_Gray..._

_Gray..._

* * *

"Gray!" Erza screamed, pressing down on his chest. His blood practically painted the floor crimson and the police began swarming Gray's house, among them, was Natsu, Lucy, and Jellal.

After thirty compressions, Erza pressed her ears over his heart. Unable to find his heart beats, she resumed performing CPR. "Gray, wake up!" She begged tears blurred her vision. "Dammit, Gray!"

"Erza, stop," Jellal commanded, "CPR isn't working. You have to let them use the defibrillators."

He reached for her, but the woman slapped his hand away.

"Leave me alone!" she roared, "I can help him!"

"Shit!" Natsu screamed, running over to his friend's lifeless body. Lucy followed him quickly.

"Gray!" They stopped when Jellal gave the two an angry look. The bluenette grabbed Erza's arm gently and pulled her away.

"JELLAL, LET ME GO!" she cried, thrashing around violently in his arms. The red haired woman watched a group of paramedics surround Gray.

She squirmed in his arms, trying to break free from him. "Lemme go!" She screamed again. "Gray, he's-"

The bluenette pulled her back and looked into her eyes deeply, "He's gonna be okay!" He assured.

"Trust me, lieutenant." He turned his gaze back to Gray as he heard the paramedics prepare an oxygen mask for him. They lifted the ravenette onto a stretcher and took him into an ambulance.

Upon knowing that Gray was okay, Erza sighed with relief and collapse into Jellal's arms.

"Simon did this, didn't he?!" She hissed angrily, clutching his shirt in her hands. "That no-good son of a bitch…"

"I doubt it's Simon..." The agent murmured. He wrapped his arms around the woman and held her in his embrace before turning to Lucy and Natsu who were still shaken at what just happened with Gray.

"Juvia..." Lucy managed to rasp out. "Where is she?"

She turned to Natsu quickly, "Don't tell me she's...?"

Natsu shook his head, "She wasn't here when we first arrived." He reminded.

Lucy covered her mouth and closed her eyes slowly. The pinkette clenched his fist and gritted his teeth, "Whoever shot Gray, took Juvia."

The group fell inaudible. All that could be heard was the wail of the siren becoming fainter as the ambulance got further and further away.

Jellal looked at his friends and the woman holding onto his shirt. Seeing them so hopeless and upset made the agent feel very guilty. Their best friend was shot and almost killed while the other one was kidnaped.

"well then," He said, breaking the deathly silence with his deep, powerful voice.

He released Erza from his grip, "We must find whoever did this to them."

Erza looked up at him, her eyes filled with determination. She nodded slowly, "you're right..." she mumbled, closing her hands into tight fists. "He's gonna regret messin' with Fairy Tail."

Lucy nodded, "that's right."

Natsu flashed his signature grin and slammed his fist together, "I'm all fired up!"

"That's what I like to hear!" Jellal smirked. He turned to the front door of Gray's house and saw Ultear speaking to the pedestrians.

"Yo, Ul!" He called, "Close this place up, I don't want any unauthorized personnel beyond this point. This place is no longer Gray's home- it's a crime scene."

* * *

"Juvia Lockser." Whispered Jiemma as he removed a bag over the woman's head. Once the bag was off, he got a good look at her bright cerulean orbs, glaring daggers at him.

_If looks could kill._

"Sorry about what happened to Gray; I didn't mean to shoot him."

Juvia lashed out in anger, "You son of a bitch!" she screamed but whimpered when she felt something tighten around her wrist.

She looked up quickly to find them chained to the ceiling. Her eyes widened, stomach churned and body shook. "What do you want from me?"

"From you?" The white-haired man questioned. His tone of voice made Juvia's blood boil in her veins. He smirked, took out a gun from his pocket and threw it on the ground.

Juvia watched him in confusion as the firearm slid across the floor and disappeared into the darkness. Jiemma laughed and threw his hands up in the air, "I don't want anything from _you_."

"Why the hell am I here?" she hissed, straining against the shackles. She gritted her teeth in pain, "If I'm not gonna be of use to you just kill me!"

"You saw me throw my gun on the floor, didn't you?!" Growled Jiemma, getting slightly impatient with the blue haired woman. "I don't wanna kill you _yet_."

"I'm going to ask you again, trash." The bluenette said darkly and narrowed her eyes. "Why am I here?"

"You see," He started. "I want know everything you know about a certain person, and if I don't get what I want..."

He grabbed her chin and smiled ferociously, like a caged animal waiting to be fed. "... you'll suffer and, I'll go back and put a bullet into Gray's head."

"If you do anything else to harm my precious Gray, I _will_ kill you without hesitation."

Jiemma burst out in uncontrollable laughter, "Lemme ask you something: Who's the one chained up?" he asked.

He waited for Juvia to answer, but all she did was stare at him.

" That's what I thought, Lockser,". He grabbed a nearby chair and sat down, facing the blue haired police officer, "Now, tell me everything you know about Jellal Fernandes."

* * *

"Yo, Jellal." Natsu called, picking up a battered cell phone.

The blue haired man rushed into Gray's living room and looked at the item Natsu was holding in his hand. "D'ya reckon the shooter's fingerprints are still on this thing?"

Jellal slid a pair of latex gloves onto his hand and took the phone from him, "Or maybe it'll have the last conversation the shooter had before he took Juvia." he murmured, analyzing it closely.

He handed it back to Natsu, "Bag it and send it back to the lab"

Natsu nodded and grabbed a bio-hazard bag from his briefcase, "Jellal, you're a psychic. Do you know who did this to Gray?"

The bluenette stopped what he was doing and looked at his pink haired friend. His onyx eyes were grave and his face tense.

It was the first time Jellal's seen him like this and he felt a little intimidated by it. "Don't worry, buddy," Jellal assured, slapping his arm gently. "I have a person in mind."

"Who?"

"Jiemma."

"What makes you think it's him?" Asked Erza as she walked into the room and joined the two males.

She stared at the phone in Natsu's evidence bag and then back to Jellal, "We have no proof it was him."

The agent pointed at the object Natsu was still carrying, "That is Jiemma's phone. I've seen it in his possession countless times."

Erza shrugged, "That's still not enough evidence."

He sighed at his girlfriend's stubbornness and walked away from her, "Okay, boss." He mocked, leaving her standing with Natsu.

Erza rolled her eyes, "He can be so childish at time..."

"Want me to beat him up?" Natsu asked, cracking his knuckled.

The redhead scoffed and bonked him on the head, "You're an idiot..."

* * *

Concurrently, Jellal was standing at the doorway Gray was previously shot under. He looked out at the streets and watched several pedestrians pass by.

'_How comes no one heard the gunshot?' _

Suddenly, he remembered that the shooting took place at night while everyone was at home, sleeping. He took out a gun from his belt and imitated the shooter, looking out for all the possible places the bullet could end up at.

"I hope you're not gonna pull the trigger."

He looked up and saw Erza leaning against the wall, "Oh," he mumbled nervously, growing slightly warm.

"I wasn't planning to shoot anything,". He slid the gun back into his belt and replaced it with a laser.

He pointed the beam of light at the wall and found something protruding from it.

"A laser?" Question the lieutenant as Jellal slowly walked over to the wall. He took out a pair of tweezers and pulled out a bullet.

"Did you know that LASER actually mean: Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation?" he grinned, staring at the bullet at the end of his tweezers.

Erza pouted and mumbled: "Know it all...".

"Stop acting jealous and come here for a minute, Scarlet." He ordered and the chuckled upon hearing the woman sighed grumpily. "Look at the-"

"I'm not acting jealous, just so you know!" She growled sulkily and punched his arm. "So, what are we looking at?"

He smirked at her bipolar attitude. "You know, you can be quite scary sometimes... and grumpy."

The comment earned him another smack on the arm and he winced, "I'm not grumpy!" she defended quickly. "You're just a bully!"

"Me, a bully?" Gasped the bluenette as he placed the bullet into a jar. "You're the one hitting me!"

"Only because you're teasing me!"

"No I'm not!"

"Yes you are!"

"And you complain that I bicker too much with Gray..." Natsu whispered, entering the room with Lucy.

The two stared at the couple before them, their faces mere millimeters from one another.

"I hope we're not interrupting somethin'." Lucy said, pointing at them,

Jellal blushed a deep shade of red and cleared his throat, "No," he gulped, moving away from the redhead who's face was flushed slightly.

"I was just about to say this: You see initials engraved onto the bullet casing?"

"No." Natsu grumbled and then winced when Lucy slapped him.

"Yeah," The blonde replied, glaring at the pink haired detective. "It looks like it says 'JO'."

"Jiemma Orlando." Jellal spoke carefully, "It's his initials. In the army, we have our own bullets so we'd know who's it was we someone decides to friendly fire."

"What does that mean?" Natsu asked.

"It means shooting your own comrades," Erza answered.

After replying, she turned to face Jellal, "So, it really _is _Jiemma?"

"Yeah..."

Lucy noticed his saddened expression, "What's wrong, Jellal?"

"It's just that I remember something..."

"What is it?" Erza asked curiously.

"It was a while ago... When I was still in the army," Jellal explained, "Jiemma taught me that the best place to shoot someone for a slow and painful death is right here."

He pressed his hand just below the Erza's right breast, "The renal artery which is one of the two blood vessels that leads off from the abdominal aorta. When damaged and untreated, the victim would die of tremendous blood loss."

"When I saw Gray being taken away by the paramedics, I saw a large laceration on that exact spot and, with all this blood on the floor..." she trailed off and stared at the large blood pool on the carpet. "You don't think...?

"Yeah." He responded. "The blood that is sent from the abdominal aorta is rich in uric acid, which is then filtered by the kidney and excreted from the body via the urethra as urine."

"So, you're tellin' me that Gray would be on dialysis because that gunshot wound?" The pink haired man asked angrily.

"No, he'll be fine with just one kidney for the mean time, Just until the artery heals..." Jellal said, reassuring his friend. "I'm just surprised that Jiemma could aim which such precision in a small space of time. He needed to be quick in order to silence Gray."

"As expected from an ex-soldier...' Erza mumbled under her breath.

Jellal looked up at the group of three, "Are we done here then?"

"Yeah, but we still can't verify that Jiemma did it." Lucy gestured to the jar in Jellal's hand. "We can't make an arrest until we have sufficient evidence."

"Don't worry." He smiled, "Earlier, Natsu picked up a cell phone. If we can find the shooter's last conversation and link his and Jiemma's voice and also the finger prints. Boom. Jiemma is guilty and we can make an arrest."

"I'm all fired up!" Natsu screamed. Lucy looked at the time on her phone, "It's been more than 6 hours since Gray was taken into hospital, do you think he's okay?"

"How could it be 6 hours already?"

"We took a break earlier, don't you remember?"

"Oh yeah." Erza said, pressing her palm on her forehead

"Only one way to find out if Gray's okay." Jellal took out his own phone and dialed the hospital's number, "I'll call 'em."

* * *

"And what are you still doing here?" Ultear asked, leaning against Jellal's door frame.

The blue haired man merely shrugged and stared at the phone they received earlier. She smiled softly at her good friend and walked into his office, closing the door behind her, "Where are Erza and the other?"

"They're at the hospital, checking on Gray." He explained, resting his tattooed forehead on the palm of his hand.

Ultear nodded slowly and joined him, sitting opposite the bluenette. "They went after we left his home."

She noticed the sadness in his tone and wondered what was the cause of it. "Jellal-"

"Ultear, he was the one who did it..."

"What?"

"Jiemma did this. I've managed to recover the last conversation recorded in the phone and found out that Jiemma was speaking to Simon about somethin'."

The agent slammed his fist on the table angrily, causing fissures to appear on the wood of his desk and Ultear to jump a little. "Dammit! I knew it was him!" he hissed.

"You do realize you're paying for the new desk..."

"I don't give a shit about this desk!" Yelled a very pissed off Jellal. "I want to know why Jiemma did this and I wanna know where he is so I could beat the living hell outta him!"

"But, you still respect him for some reason," Ultear whispered, watching him focus his gaze on her.

_She saw right through him_.

His eyes were beginning to tear up and she saw a hint of pain within.

He quickly wiped his tears away, "Me and Jiemma used to be good friends. We fought together while in the army." He spoke gently. "I never thought he'd just stab me in the back..."

"Don't worry, Jelly," she assured, rubbing his arm soothingly. "We'll find him and Simon."

He nodded slowly and didn't answer.

Ultear poked his shoulder, "Hey, how comes you're not with them? Don't you wanna see Gray too?"

"I'd rather be alone. Besides, I didn't want to see Erza upset."

"You know, Erza's happy now that she's with you."

"Hmph." Jellal scoffed. "I can't give her the happiness she deserves, no matter how hard I try."

"You doubt yourself, after everything you've been through together?"

"I don't doubt anything because it's the truth. Look at where Erza is right now. She's the Lieutenant of one of the most prestigious police bureaus in Fiore." He clarified, "She lived a happy life until I came along and did this. All of this..."

"When are you gonna stop blaming yourself, man. Don't you see? This isn't your fault!" Ultear screamed, grabbing his shirt collar. "When will you get that into your brain?!"

"When I could finally see the day Erza and her friends stop crying is the day I finally forgive myself." He retaliated.

The ravenette gasped and released him, shocked by what he just said.

Jellal frowned, "I just wanna see them happy. Right now, I could see their souls sagging and spirits broken. They're losing hope."

"You don't realize that _you're _their hope, Jell." The woman smirked. He shook his head and stood up, heading towards the exit.

She crossed her arms and sat on the table, "_You_ make them happy."

"Why do you always find fault in everything I say?" Asked the blue head with a soft smile. "I must go now, Good night."

"Yeah." Ultear sighed, watching him descend into the darkness.

"You do worry me sometimes, Jellal. Even though you have a girlfriend, you still want to be alone." She said and lifted herself off the desk.

_'I guess the loneliest people are the kindest,'_ She thought, recalling the pain both Jellal and Erza went through. '_The saddest people smile the brightest and even though you're practically broken, Jellal. You're one of the wisest people I've come across in my life.'_

For some reason, Ultear felt hot tears running down her beautiful face, '_Only because you don't want to see the ones you care about suffer the same way you did...'_

* * *

"Natsu?" Lucy asked, speaking through the microphone of her cell phone. It was night time and the streets were quiet; too quiet for her liking.

_"Yo, Luce,"_ He grumbled tiredly._ "When are ya comin' home?"_

"I'll be home in a sec. I just needed to get some grocery." The blonde answered, "I'll call you back in a minute, I can't find my car keys.". Lucy put down the bags she was holding.

_"Lucy, be careful. It's dangerous out there, especially with two killers on the streets."_ Natsu warned, _"Call me once you get into the car and then again when you reach home."_

"Okay, Natsu. I'll see you in a bit." With that, Lucy declined the call and placed her bag on her car, rummaging through her stuff to look for those goddamn keys.

'_I'll never get anywhere at this rate...'_

Suddenly, she heard the sound of someone's shoe scratch against the pavement.

Feeling the adrenaline rush through her veins, she turned around quickly to find that there was no one there. Thinking it was nothing, the third-grade detective shook her head and focused her attention on finding her keys. An uncomfortable feeling crept up her spine.

A feeling that there was something, or someone, watching her.

"Looking for these?" There was a rattle of keys and Lucy immediately recognized the voice of the stranger.

She turned around to meet the pupilless gaze of the killer they were searching for.

Jiemma.

He smirked, amused by Lucy's frightened expression. But it soon went away when she reached for her gun and attempted to scream.

The large man quickly grabbed her head slammed her against her car, knocking her out cold.

"Don't get in the way." He growled, leaning down towards the unconscious blonde. There was a larger cut on her temple upon where her head made contact with the vehicle.

"You'll be joining your friend, Juvia Lockser, now, Lucy Heartfillia."

Jiemma took her phone and lifted her off the ground, "I'm sure you know a thing or two about Jellal."

* * *

**Sorry for leaving it like that! I promise I'll try and get the next chapter up soon!**

**Until then!**


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22: When fairies attack tigers.**

* * *

"JELLAL!" Natsu screamed, charging towards the bluenette with tearful eyes. "WHERE IS HE?!"

"Natsu…" Jellal mumbled. Erza shook her head and made her way towards the stampeding pinkette, but Jellal stopped her.

"No, leave him."

Natsu let out a cry of frustration, tackled Jellal on the ground, grabbed the lapels of his jacket and began slamming him on the floor, "WHERE IS JIEMMA?!" He barked loudly, causing everyone around them to go silent all of a sudden. "HE'S GOT LUCY!"

Jellal winced, "Natsu, I don't know..."

The pinkette wiped his tears away and raised his fist, his mind clouded in anger and sadness. "How could you not know?" He hissed.

Erza grabbed Natsu's scarf and pulled him off the stunned bluenette.

"Natsu, you have to calm down!" She growled, shaking him gently. "Jellal found out about Lucy's disappearance early this morning; he doesn't know her and Juvia's whereabouts!"

"Dammit!" He screamed, punching a nearby wall. Never has he felt so empty, so lonely. They have _her_. They have the woman he loved and no one knows where she is. "I was meant to protect her..."

"We'll find her, Natsu," Erza assured, rubbing his back in a soothing manner. Jellal stood up shakily and stared at the two.

The expression on Natsu's face reminded him so much of himself; how he was unable to protect Erza and how she ended up in a coma.

Jellal opened his mouth and spoke softly: "I know how you feel, Natsu."

Natsu glared at the bluenette, a wildfire surging within his fierce onyx eyes, "No, you don't." He snapped and then suddenly felt guilty when he saw Jellal's face drop. "Look, Jellal, I-"

"Blame me about what happened to Gray, Lucy, and Juvia," Jellal whispered quietly; his dull olivine eyes hidden behind his bright blue hair. "It is my fault after all..."

"Jellal-" Natsu started, but was cut off by Erza.

"We won't be able to find anything if we keep blaming each other!" She established, grabbing both males by the jacket. "We need to work together to find them!"

"You always know the right words to say, don't you?" Jellal smiled.

His expression suddenly turned serious and he gestured to his office, "C'mon." The two followed him into his office and watched as he began removing his tie. "First things first, Jiemma didn't kidnap Lucy and Juvia to kill them."

"How could we be so sure?"

"He's not after those two," The ultramarine lifted his hand and scratched his chin. "He's after something else..."

"That bastard will pay for doing this! First, he shot Gray. Next, kidnap both Lucy and Juvia!" Natsu screamed angrily and kicked Jellal's table.

All the paperwork fluttered onto the floor. The pinkette couldn't care less about them. All he did was trample over them, "I'm gonna find that bitch and kill him!"

Erza sighed and pressed the palm of her hand on her forehead, "Natsu, calm down..."

"I WON'T CALM DOWN!" Natsu roared. Everyone outside Jellal's office watched as the pinkette began rampaging, knocking over all of Jellal's stuff. "THEY HAVE LUCY AND WE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE SHE IS!"

Growing slightly impatient with the pinkette, Erza grabbed his ear and screamed: "IF YOU KEEP GETTING WORKED UP, WE WON'T GET ANYWHERE!" She released him and he fell onto the floor, ears ringing and head spinning.

The woman turned back to Jellal who was still standing in the same position before Natsu went ballistics. "I'm sorry about that. Natsu can get a little… over the top."

"That's fine. He was never meant to hurt no one." Jellal whispered, and stared at the mess the pink haired inspector made.

"How do you think we're gonna find Jiemma?" Erza asked. "Could we try and track Lucy's cell phone?"

"I already tried that," Jellal sighed. "Looks like Jiemma knows we're after him and threw her phone in a nearby river..."

"We need to find a way to track him down. But how?" Erza questioned, collapsing into Jellal's leather chair.

Natsu groaned and sat up, rubbing his throbbing ear that Erza grabbed previously. "Is everything okay, Jellal?" Erza watched the blue haired man walk over to the pile of paper, picked out a sheet and stared at it intensely.

"I think I know where we could find Jiemma," Jellal whispered, showing the two the sheet of paper he recently picked up

. On the paper was a picture of a woman with dark hair and forest green eyes. "His daughter, Minerva, might know."

"We can't just storm in and make an arrest!" Erza clarified. "That's Sabertooth police department!"

"I don't care where their Sabertooth police department or not! They know where Lucy is!" Natsu screamed, balling his fist.

"I know someone who can find out more about her, so we could make an arrest. If not, we could make it up and arrest her anyway..."

"Isn't that against the law?" Erza asked.

"Helping your deranged father kidnap two innocent people is against the law." Jellal grabbed her hands and pulled her close. "I need your approval since you're still in charge of this investigation."

Erza sighed.

"Please!"

"Fine."

The door suddenly opened, "Yo Jellal, I got us something to eat for breakfast!"

Just the person he needed.

Jellal smirked, "Ultear."

The raven haired woman walked into the office and handed him a bag, "I got you a cereal bar for breakfast because you can't keep eating pizza; it's not good for you! I know you think of yourself as a sexy, slim and fit man, Erza probably thinks that too- but that doesn't mean you should eat a bunch of shit."

"What?" Erza felt her face warm up upon hearing the comment about finding Jellal hot. "That's-"

"I don't really want breakfast right now, Ul." Jellal blushed a shade of red the same color as his lover's hair. He walked over the ravenette and shoved the paper in her face so that she couldn't see his embarrassed face. "I want you to help us make an arrest."

Ultear pushed his hand away, snatched the paper and skimmed through it quickly. She shrugged, "Piece of cake."

* * *

"Sting!" Minerva called and watched a blonde man with defined muscles race into her office. "Why didn't you fill out the report?"

"Forgive me, boss." Sting apologized.

A young man with black hair and red eyes burst into the office and shouted: "There's a bunch of police officers outside, milady..."

"Officers?" The woman asked, stood up from her chair and walked towards the door. "Are they ours, or are they from a different department?"

"They're from Fairy Tail."

The three suddenly heard loud bangs and the screams of a very angry Natsu. "Where is she?" He screamed, kicking someone aside. "MINERVA ORLANDO!"

Minerva scoffed, "what do they want?" She murmured. A flash of scarlet crossed her peripheral vision and soon, she found herself being cuffed.

"What the hell?" She growled, glaring directly at the redhead. Her eyes widened, "You're that Erza girl that Jellal's dating?"

The Lieutenant ignored her comment, "Minerva Orlando, you're under arrest for obstructing police officers and for attempted abduction." Erza explained, tightening the woman's handcuffs.

She pulled her away from the wall and pushed her towards the exit. "And, most importantly-"

Sting and Rogue chased after the redhead as she took Minerva to the police car outside, "You're not taking her with you!"

"Oh no you don't!" Natsu growled. He ran towards them and slammed them into the floor. "You're _not_ getting in our way!"

Erza grinned, "-for pissing me off."

* * *

"Rise and shine, my dear..." Jiemma whispered against Lucy's ear, causing her to flinch slightly. The large man chuckled and moved away from her, "How was your sleep?"

Lucy groaned. Her head was spinning uncontrollably because of the large cut on her temple Jiemma inflicted on her.

"Where am I?" She grumbled quietly and looked around at her surroundings. The place had an eerie sense to it. Dark shadows were lurking in the humid air, along with a faint smell of damp hanging in the chilling darkness of the room, which completely incapacitated the blonde.

Cackles of Jiemma's voice echoed with the sound of footsteps that were coming from the blackness. "What's going on?"

"Lucy..." Juvia whispered breathlessly. Her head dropped in exhaustion and she gave up struggling against the shackles she dangled from.

Lucy's eyes widened when her eyes focused on the weakened bluenette; her clothes were tattered and, like Lucy herself, she had a large gash sitting upon her forehead. "He's got you too?"

"Yeah," The blonde whispered hoarsely. "Do you know what he wants?"

Juvia looked up at her with droopy eyes and opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.

"I'm gonna tell you this: I _don't_ want you two." That voice didn't come from the blue haired woman; it came from Jiemma, who grabbed a chair and sat in front of them.

"You're not after us?"

"No," The man snorted in amusement. "What use are you two to me?'

"Why are we here then?" Lucy asked.

Jiemma grinned at the two women, hanging by their wrists, in front of him. They looked like animals waiting to be slaughtered- to be out their misery.

All he did was laugh at them- finding their current situation comical. "Why don't you ask your blue haired friend over there?" He asked and gestured to Juvia who was glaring at the man.

"Juvia…?" Lucy groaned and shifted her body to face the cerulean haired woman. "What's he talking about?"

The woman sighed, "Jiemma really wants to know everything about him."

"Who's him?"

"Jellal."

The blonde's body froze as soon as that name was mentioned. Her eyes went from Juvia and then back to Jiemma. "Jellal…" she gasped.

The first thing that came to her mind when the name reached her ear was the thought of Erza, her best friend, and whether she'd be safe or not. No matter what happens to Jellal, Erza would always be by his side to help him. The red haired woman was always as stubborn as hell and that's what made Lucy worry for her.

"What do you want with him?"

"Your buddy, Jellal, knows the locations of the most destructive weapons ever made by the army," Jiemma explained; his eyes harboring a menacing look. He suddenly covered his mouth, "Whoops… I've already said too much."

"That's... not possible..." The blonde murmured. She thought about Jellal and how helpful he's been for the past couple of months. It never crossed her mind that he would keep such highly classified information from them. _'Jellal,'_ Lucy thought. _'Who exactly are you?'_

* * *

"Suspect's name: Minerva Orlando," Erza spoke into a tape and placed it back on the table she and Minerva were sitting at. "Person interrogating her is Lieutenant Erza Scarlet."

"Actually," Minerva interrupted abruptly, narrowing her eyes at the redhead. She smirked at the Lieutenant, leaned back on the chair and kicked her feet up. "I'm the one interrogating _you_."

Erza sighed, "I haven't got time for your silly little games…"

"Nor do I lieutenant, but I would like to ask you this: Why am I here?"

"Well-"

"Actually, I don't want to speak to some beat cop like you. I deserve to be interviewed by someone more mature than you." Minerva spat, raising her head like some sort of monarch. "I want to speak to Jellal."

The redhead clenched her fist and tried to control her breathing. "I'm gonna be the interrogating you. Jellal is not here at the moment."

Erza stacked a few bits of paper and placed it in front of the cocky woman. "I'm asking you a few questions about your father. Do you know where he is?"

"I already said, didn't I?" Minerva hissed, spitting venom at the redhead. "I don't want to say anything unless your name is Jellal Fernandez."

From outside the interrogation room, Natsu and Jellal watched the two ladies' 'interrogation'.

The bluenette couldn't stop staring at the redhead- she looked incredibly calm about the situation. Even though Minerva was clearly pissing the Lieutenant off, Erza kept her cool.

"You should go in there and talk to her," Natsu whispered suddenly. "She ain't gonna say anything to Erza."

"Give her some time…" Jellal answered, smirking at the black haired woman because he knows how persistent Erza could be. "I know Erza could do it."

Natsu tensed, "Dammit... I just want Lucy back..."

The bluenette placed a hand in Natsu's bulging bicep, "we'll find her, Natsu." He turned back to the window that allows them to see through, but the people within the room are unable to see them. "Erza'll make 'er talk."

Concurrently, Minerva removed her feet from the table, placed her elbows on it and propped her chin on her palms, smiling at the redhead wickedly. "Where's Jellal?"

Erza sighed and dug her nose into the documents in her hands. After a while of calming herself down, she glared back at Minerva, who still had that stupid smile plastered on her lips.

How much Erza wanted to wipe that revolting smile off her face. "I'm gonna ask you again: Where is your father?"

The Sabertooth officer scowled at the Lieutenant of Fairy Tail, "I don't have to tell you anything, Red. I know my rights!"

"He's killed many innocent people- he even killed Jellal's sister! I just want to know where he is so we could stop him-"

"Listen, red," Minerva interrupted; her voice was low and her eyes had a wicked gleam. "I said I didn't want to talk to you! So, go get me Jellal and stop asking me-"

Before she could finish her sentence, however, Erza gritted her teeth and kicked her chair, causing Minerva to fly across the room.

"Didn't I say I didn't want to be playing silly little games with you!" Erza hissed. She stood up and towered over Minerva, who was shocked at the redhead's sudden burst of anger. "Do you really think I'm just 'some cop' who's arresting you for obstruction?!"

"W-well-" Minerva stuttered, trembling under Titania's glare.

"YOU'RE WRONG!" Erza roared and threw the documents in Minerva's face. "My best friend is in hospital and my other two friends are missing because of your father! And now, you're in my way!"

Minerva gulped, 'She's scary...'

"I'm going to ask you this one last time: Where is Jiemma?"

"Um," she took in shaky breathed before continuing. "A few weeks ago, he called me, asking for some money because he wanted to buy a warehouse." She explained, staring up at the mighty Titania with innocent eyes. "That's all I know. I swear!"

Erza nodded slowly, "I believe you." She handed Minerva some paper and hissed into her ear: "Now, I'm gonna need the address of that warehouse."

* * *

Jellal and Natsu watched in amazement as Erza snatched the paper from Minerva and headed for the exit.

The bluenette's eye twitched and his mouth was agape, "Did you see that?" He asked, still thinking he was having some sort of daydream about his red-headed girlfriend.

Natsu nodded slowly and wore the same expression as his blue haired friend. "I think so..."

"Remind me not to piss her off next time..." Jellal pleaded as Erza opened the door and walked over to the two.

"I think I'm the one who needs the reminders..." the pinkette gulped. The two of them stared into each other's eyes and gave one another a fearful expression.

Erza can be a monster when she wants to be.

"Here," The redhead shoved a crumpled piece of paper in Jellal's chest. "It's the location of Jiemma's warehouse. I'm sure he's keeping Lucy and Juvia in there." With that, the redhead turned away and left.

Jellal handed it to Natsu, "you look for the address. I'll catch up to you." He murmured and then chased after her.

Erza shoved past the crowds of people blocking the corridors of the headquarters and rushed over to the exit of the building. "Erza!" Jellal called, following the scarlet haired woman.

"Jellal-" she started but then gasped when the man grabbed her wrist, turned her around and pinned her to a wall. His intense, bright hazel eyes regarded her shrewdly and it took moments for her to find her voice. "What?"

"Where are you going?" He asked sternly. Erza trembled a little upon hearing the seriousness in his voice and the sharpness within his deep eyes. Only _he_ was able to make the great Titania feel like this. Only _he_ was able to tame her.

"I," she croaked and clear her throat so her voice sounded more confident. "I was going to the hospital."

Jellal nodded and release her hand. "I see..." he murmured. His mood visibly shifted. His eyes softened and his expression warmed up, and she witnessed a smile on his beautifully chiseled lips.

"The hospital called me earlier saying that there's a high possibility that Gray will wake soon."

Erza gasped, "He will?!" She asked desperately. "I must be on my way then."

"Sure," Jellal sighed, turning his back on the redhead. "Do what you must."

"Aren't you coming with me?"

"No," He answered. "I'm going to help Natsu with finding Jiemma's location."

"Do you need my help?"

Jellal slowly began walking away from her, "No," he replied. Erza threw her eyes from him to the floor. The man stopped, "Is there something wrong, Erza?"

_'You're doing it again, Jellal...'_ Erza thought, clenched her fist and shook her head vigorously. "No."

"In that case," The ultramarine murmured. "I'll see you later." He turned, watched the redhead melt into the large group of people, who were gathered by the door.

_'I see you still have lingering feelings for Gray.'_

* * *

"If you need anything, you can always call me." A nurse smiled softly at Gray sitting up on a hospital bed.

Gray smiled back at the woman; "Sure," he nodded slowly, trying not to open his wounds. "Thank you for your help."

She placed a glass of water in the desk beside the bed, "Anytime."

The dark haired man watched the nurse leave his room. He sighed, looked up at the ceiling and recalled the events of what happened two nights ago. Juvia was patching his wounds. Then, someone knocked on the door.

Then, it happened.

Before Gray had time to react, Jiemma already shot him and knocked Juvia out of consciousness.

At that very moment, he felt weak and vulnerable. Now, he knew how Erza must've felt when Simon and Jiemma attacked her.

_Erza..._

While he was fighting for his life, he could hear her voice, calling out his name within the darkness. It would repeat until he found himself here, in hospital.

"I see you're finally awake." A voice snapped him out of his daydreams and Gray turned to the door.

Fiery red hair shone incredibly under the pale hospital light. Her dark, earthy eyes, framed by long lashes, stared back at him and a thin smile adorned her plump lips. "You had me worried."

"Erza," Gray whispered, holding out his hand to her. The redhead headed over to him and gladly took his hand.

He led her to a seat beside her and said: "I thought you were with Jellal, trying to find where Jiemma is."

"He said he didn't need my help since Natsu's with him; so I decided to check on you." She explained, still clamping down on the ravenette's hand. "Jellal said that you'd wake."

"I told you he was some sort of psychic…"

"Oh, and Gray..." She whispered. Gray turned to her and saw Erza's hand traveling quickly towards his face. When it made contact with him, there was a loud crack and he yelped, holding his sore cheek.

The woman narrowed her eyes, "How could you be so careless, opening the door to a stranger late at night?!"

The man winced, "I'm sorry!" He exclaimed, watching her cross her arms. He grabbed the glass of water beside him and pressed it on his throbbing face. "I didn't know it was Jiemma!"

Despite not showing it, Erza felt glad that Gray was okay and she hoped that Lucy and Juvia were too. "I know you might not know this, but Lucy's been taken too"

His mouth hung and he didn't understand she meant at first. His mind went blank all of a sudden as if it stopped working and needed to be repaired. When he finally managed to find his breath, he whispered: "how? How did it happen?"

"It was late when he took her."

"That coward!" Gray tensed, jolting upright quickly. "He attacked her when there was no one around!" He groaned and held the bandages below his chest. "Damn…"

"Gray," Erza placed a hand on his arm and pushed him back down. "Don't strain yourself; you must rest."

"I don't need to rest!" He snapped. "I wanna help! The doctor said I'll be able to leave the hospital tomorrow! This means I'm okay!"

"Today isn't really tomorrow, is it?"

The ravenette growled and raised his fist to the ceiling, "I don't give a shit! I wanna find that bastard and-"

"I wanna beat that guy up too, Gray!" A new voice screamed, joining the conversation. Before the two could predict who it could be, Natsu burst into the room with a large grin on his lips, "I'm afraid you can't get out that hospital yet, ice princess!"

"Shut up, you lousy fireball!" Gray countered.

Erza laughed softly, _'These two never stop fighting...'_

"I'm coming with you!"

Natsu roared and slammed his fist together, "You're not leaving this room!" He laughed, pointing at Gray. "You're injured, remember?"

"Oh yeah?" Gray hissed, attempting to remove himself from the bed. "We'll see about that!"

"ENOUGH!" Erza screamed, and the two suddenly fell silent. Lieutenant punched the careless pinkette in the face and then pushed Gray back down, "We're in a hospital and there are people resting!"

"Aye…" The latter murmured.

"Natsu!" The woman growled, pointing at the trembling pink haired man on the floor.

Natsu squeaked and jumped to his feet, "Yes ma'am?"

"What are you doing here?"

"Uh, Jellal told me that he'll pick us up later because we're gonna infiltrate Jiemma's warehouse."

"You mean, Minerva actually told the truth?" Erza asked. "That's weird..."

"This means that we'll find Lucy and Juvia, and make Jiemma pay!"


	23. Chapter 23

**Yo, everyone! How's summer going for you all? I hope it's going well!**

**I'm soo sorry for making you all wait for such a long time for this chapter! **

**Did you all know that this story is almost at its end? Yup, only 1 or 2 chapters left.**

**Enough of my consistent waffling... Here's the next chapter!**

**Chapter 23: The truth behind it all...**

* * *

"This means that we'll find Lucy and Juvia, and make Jiemma pay!"

Gray winced, "Why does all the action take place when I'm injured?"

Erza smiled.

She was glad that Gray was easing up a little- especially with all the tension between them and the killers. The redhead looked out the window, wondering why and what Jiemma wants with Juvia and Lucy. The only relationship the two share is that they're both cops and detectives; other than that, they share no other significant association. She knew both Juvia and Lucy too long for them to hide anything from her.

"Erza. Erza. Erza!" Natsu resounded, snapping her out her deep thoughts. "ERZA!"

Erza's mood immediately changed; her nostrils flared and her eyes narrowed, "I told you not to scream, didn't I?" She asked in an almost animalistic growl.

Natsu jumped out his skin upon hearing her demon like voice, "Sorry!" He apologized and bowed several times. "I was just tryin' to your attention!"

Once again, the scarlet haired woman completely ignored him because she couldn't stop thinking about a certain blue haired man. His attitude has definitely changed since both Lucy and Juvia were kidnaped; he seemed to have matured over the past couple of weeks. Not that Erza doesn't like his childishness- she loves it in fact! But to have him acting so serious about the past events, it made her think about how severe the situation was and whether or not he, she and her friends would be safe anymore.

"She blanked out on us, again!" Whined Natsu, as he began looking around the hospital room for something to eat. Using his brilliant sense of smell, the pinkette managed to find a cookie beside Gray's bed. He grinned from ear to ear and reached for it.

Gray slapped his hand away, "What do you think you're doing, pinky?" He asked bitterly and grabbed the baked good so it was out of Natsu's sight. "This is mine."

"I'm refueling before Jellal comes and gets us. What else does it look like, ice princess?" Natsu spat back. "It doesn't have your name on it, so it's not yours!"

"This was given to me. Technically, it's mine!"

"You're fighting over something as small as that?" Erza seemed to have come out of her fantasy world and interfered with their argument. "That's just pathetic."

Natsu pouted, "I'm hungry."

"We'll wait 'til Jellal gets here; he must have food with him."

"Where is he?" He urged impatiently and began striding up and down the room. "What if Jiemma already did something to Lucy or Juvia?"

Gray looked over at Erza and shook his head slowly, "The idiot's right. What if he's already killed them?"

"Don't say such rash things!" Lieutenant chided and stood up abruptly. "Jellal said that they'll be fine, and Jiemma won't hurt them!"

"He could be wrong."

There was a sudden knock at the door and a nurse walked in, followed by a very stern looking Jellal. He didn't wear his usual suit and tie. Instead, he took on a black shirt with a leather jacket over it and a pair of navy blue cargo pants tucked into a pair of black combat boots.

"You guys ready to go?"

"Can I get something to eat first?" Natsu asked.

"There's some food in the car," Jellal answered, and picked the white pieces of fluff from the palms of his black gloves.

"We're taking a car?!"

"Yeah," He lifted his head and raised a brow at the pinkette. "Is there something wrong?"

Natsu grunted something inaudible under his breath, probably a few curses, and dragged himself out the room like a bear.

"Jellal," Gray called. "Please, let me go with you!"

Jellal looked at him and didn't answer.

"C'mon!"

"Gray," Erza whispered softly and grabbed his hand, forcing him to look into her deep chocolate brown orbs. "You know you can't leave the hospital until tomorrow, right?"

"I want to see Jiemma get arrested! I want to be there when-"

"I know," She kissed his cheek and smiled. "I promise you that we'll find and arrest him today."

Jellal clicked his tongue impatiently and gestured his head, "We have to leave now." He said; his voice monotonous.

"I'll see you later then," Gray murmured, and dropped his gaze to the blanket on his lap. Not only did his eyes drop, so did his heart. It sank to the very depths of his body; the feeling of bitterness consumed his entire being and refused to spit him back out. He regretted opening the door to Jiemma that night. If he didn't- Juvia would still be okay. But he knew now that there's no turning back because in the end, he only regretted the chance he didn't take. In this case, it was the chance to keep his friends safe.

Jellal smiled at his troubled friend and turned away from him quickly. He could see right through the ravenette; those negative thoughts devoured him alive and haunted his mind with painful and formidable memories.

However, he knew that no matter what Gray's going through in life, no matter how dark his times might be- his friends will always be there to help him through his struggles (just like what they've been doing for the past few years). He just needed some words of encouragement to keep him going.

"Gray," The bluenette spoke tenderly.

Gray noticed the softness in his voice and immediately looked up at his blue haired friend. He spoke again and the words that came out of Jellal's mouth left him in absolute awe.

"Don't look back with regret, look forward with hope."

* * *

"Jellal never told us anything about these 'weapons'!" Lucy growled. "I'm sure he keeps it a secret because he has to!"

"We're not going to tell you anyway; whether we knew it or not- you're not knowing the locations of the weaponry!" Juvia retaliated, backing up her friend beside her.

Jiemma's vicious grin immediately disappeared from his face and was replaced with a malicious glare. He was running out of time and he needed information about those weapons. The police are closing in on him and the data he desperately required is still out of his reach.

He impatiently strode over to the blonde, grabbed a fist full of her hair and yanked her head up to look into his penetrating eyes. Lucy screamed when she felt her scalp being pulled so aggressively, making the grin on Jiemma's face return.

"I haven't got time for your lies!" He barked. "If you won't tell me what i want, I'll just have to find Jellal myself!"

"Do you really think Jellal would fall for your trap?" The blonde asked, and smirked at the man who still had a vice-like grip on her hair. "He's not that stupid."

"Jellal can be a little careless at times and make small errors- but he's still not as naive as you think he is." The blue haired woman added.

His sinister laugh echoed through the room and pierced the ears of the two detectives still hanging from their wrists; his laugh was like that of a demon itself- so cold and horrifying. Jiemma released his grip on the woman's hair and went to go sit down.

"You girls really do have faith in him, don't ya?"

The cerulean haired woman glared at him with her deep, ocean blue eyes, "What are you talking about?!" She asked through gritted teeth; to Jiemma, it sounded more like a demand than simply just a question.

"I'm not saying that having faith in him is a bad thing!" He threw up his hands in defense. "What I'm tryin' to say is: don't put your trust in people you don't know."

"So, you're trying to tell me not to trust Jellal?"

The girl's reaction seemed to have amused him and he giggled, "How well do you know him?"

Both Lucy and Juvia opened their mouths to speak, but nothing came out. Jiemma sat and waited for them to reply; however, the two remain quiet for some reason.

"Just because your best friend, Erza, knew him as a child doesn't mean that she knew him well!" He explained, opened a can of beer and took a large gulp.

"We might not know him as well as you might know him, but I still trust him because Erza trusts him!"

The man opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted when someone entered the room.

"Er... Sir…" Stuttered one of Jiemma's guards.

"What do you want?!"

"The radar has picked up movements from the chambers of the warehouse and they've taken out many of our guards."

Jiemma stood up suddenly, grabbed his chair and threw it at his ally, "Do something about it then!" He screamed. "I don't want anyone entering or leaving this place."

* * *

Jellal lifted his hand and pressed it against the large metal doors of that led to an empty room. This warehouse was bigger than what he predicted- making him think that Jiemma has had it for more than a few weeks. Furthermore, it had more rooms and the walls were reinforced with layers of steel, concrete and glass.

"This doesn't seem like a regular warehouse…" Erza whispered, and carried a motion sickened Natsu with her. "It looks more like a testing facility."

"Yeah," Jellal agreed. "I believe it is one."

Erza suddenly dropped Natsu onto the ground by accident and he grunted softly.

"I don't feel too good..." Natsu moaned, feeling a painful sensation in his stomach. "Why did we take a car...?"

"Because it was the quickest way we could get here."

"I smell her..." He raised his head and looked around thoroughly, obvious that he overcame his motion sickness. "Over there!"

The pinkette scrambled to his feet and raced down the empty hallways of the abandoned warehouse. He could smell her perfume- the one she always wore. This clearly made it easier for Natsu to sniff her out. Closely following him were Erza and Jellal, who were bewildered at how quickly he conquered his sickness.

"How would we know if he's going the right way?" Jellal questioned, and picked up his pace when Natsu decided to run faster, indicating that they were getting closer to what they seek.

"For some odd reason, Natsu has a really good sense of smell!" She established, chasing after the two.

Meanwhile, Lucy heard loud stomping, followed by a familiar voice screaming out her name. She instantly recognized the voice and smiled to herself. Natsu and the others have come to save them. She turned to Juvia who wore the same expression on her face.

Of course, Jiemma was nowhere to be seen; as expected, the man fled moment after finding out that the police were after him. This was like a natural instinct for those who committed crimes.

Natsu suddenly burst through the doors, "LUCY!" He cried, ran over to her and removed her shackles. "I gotcha…"

The blonde threw her arms around his neck and buried her face into his dragon-scales scarf. Natsu held her tightly in his powerful arms- promising himself never to let her out of his sight.

Erza removed Juvia's shackles and embraced the bluenette, "Gray was so worried about you!" She breathed. "He'll be glad once he finds out that you're okay!"

Juvia smiled and returned the heartwarming hug, "Thank you so much…"

"Where'd he go?" Jellal asked quickly, interrupting the tender atmosphere.

"I think he went out through that way." Lucy pointed to the exit, north of the room.

Without a second thought, Jellal left the four and followed Jiemma's tracks.

"I wanna beat him up!" Natsu screamed.

"Wait, Jellal!" Lieutenant called. "You haven't got your bullet-proof armor on; he could be carrying a gun!"

He ignored the redhead's cautions and headed directly where Jiemma was. Thinking carefully, he dropped his rifle and replaced it with a small handgun, since it'll be easier to use at close range and gives him better accuracy. Jellal needed to get to him before Natsu because he'll end up beating the life out of that man.

Jellal needed answers, and he needed them _fast_.

Without realizing, he entered a dark room with a flickering light bulb above his head. Cautious of his surroundings, he immediately held the firearm in front of him and looked around. The ultramarine nearly screamed when he saw a shadow, almost like a demon, facing him with its eyes carving death into his own.

"Jiemma…" He whispered quietly; his voice somehow lost somewhere in his chest.

"Jellal!" Jiemma smiled, and opened his arms.

Jellal's eyes narrowed and his fingers twitched on the trigger of the gun. He was so tempted to end this man's life because of all the suffering he's caused him.

_But he couldn't_.

Jiemma still had crucial information he needed to finish the puzzle, and if he were to die, the chances of them finding out what they really want would go with him too- straight down to hell.

"Why?!" He seethed and took several steps towards the murderer. "Why Levy, Gajeel, Sheila and the others? They were innocent people!"

"There are no such things as 'innocent' people; everyone commits crimes," Jiemma explained. "I believe I told you this in year X784?"

"You didn't just tell me that; you told me about the secret weapons the Fiorean army are making. What the hell do you want with 'em?"

"You're the only person alive who know the location of them." The large man reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. "I and Simon were hired to do this. We killed those people because we were told to do so."

That was it. This was the last piece of the puzzle Jellal needed.

Jiemma noticed that the ex-soldier was trembling uncontrollably, making the bullets in his gun rattle within the chambers. Beads of sweat slid down the contours of his face as he began to put each piece of the puzzle together. Jiemma and Simon were smart criminals; they were able to put Erza Scarlet and Gray Fullbuster in hospital, and destroy the Fairy Tail building without being caught.

"Y-You..." The bluenette stuttered; his hand was shaking violently, which made aiming more difficult for him. "You killed those people to make me feel guilty. You harmed my friends because you wanted information only I knew; you did this so I could distance myself from others."

"Which would make you vulnerable."

"All this trouble for weapons?!" Jellal gritted, chewing his lips to prevent tears from falling. "You killed my sister because of this? Why didn't you just kidnap me, instead of putting all my friends in danger?"

"My boss said that you were always surrounded by people. We needed you to feel like you were responsible for everything that has happened, so you would push your friends away. As a consequence, it would be easier for us to take you without anyone realizing."

"I _do_ feel responsible."

"It is _your_ fault for your sister's demise. Not just your sister, but the others too."

He knew it.

When Simon and Jiemma murdered people, they would make it relate to Jellal, link it to the army in some way, making it as though the bluenette had something to do with the deaths. This would make Jellal isolate himself from his friends, in fear of getting them hurt, giving the two an opportunity to kidnap him and interrogate him about the weapons they were looking for.

But they obviously failed miserably.

Jellal quickly wiped his tears away and pressed his finger on the trigger, "Who hired you?!"

"You wouldn't harm an unarmed man, would you?"

"I-I asked you a question!" He stammered. Fear was clearly obvious in his voice.

He stared at Jellal; the grip he had on the gun was starting to become loose and eventually, he dropped it on the ground, leaving the agent completely open for attack.

Jiemma did it. He was able to tear down the walls that surround him, and expose the kind of person Jellal truly was: a broken man.

"I believe the plan worked well, don't you think?"

Jellal swallowed a lump in his throat and realized that for the first time in his life- he's giving up.

The white-haired man pulled out a syringe from his pocket and went for the helpless bluenette, "It's time for the sun to set for you, Jellal Fernandez."

"YOU'RE GOING DOWN, JIEMMA!" Natsu suddenly appeared, pounced on him and locked his arm around the large man's neck, forcing him to release the needle.

"You brat!" Jiemma choked.

"Leave him, Natsu," Erza stated.

Natsu released him and cuffed him, "You're going away for a really long time. I suggest you start getting comfortable."

Lucy and Juvia joined the three and watched, with their eyes narrowed, the pinkette drag Jiemma out the room. When Jiemma passed Jellal, he uttered something that caused his olivine eyes to pop out his sockets.

"Jellal...?" The blonde whispered, and gently placed a hand on his shoulder; she was surprised when he flinched and shuffled away from her. "Jiemma was asking us about you and I-"

"I know."

Erza noticed his change in mood and held his hand, "Is there something wrong?" She asked softly.

"No."

He pulled his hand out of hers and kept his answers short because he didn't want the others to hear his troubled voice.

Lieutenant felt hurt at his sudden rejection. She opened her mouth to ask him what was wrong, but he blanked her and whirled around, heading for the exit.

"Let's go."

* * *

"Gray!" Juvia squealed and embraced the ravenette tight. "I'm so sorry I didn't do anything to stop him!"

The ravenette stared down at the blue haired woman, "Don't hug me too tight!" He winced, and Juvia, hearing his pained voice, released him. He smiled, "No one is to be blamed for what happened."

"I'm glad you're okay, Gray." Lucy smiled, walking hand in hand with the pinkette beside her.

"You're all so careless!" Erza scolded, making the others prepare for her wrath, but her demeanor quickly softened, "However, I'm glad that we're all okay."

"Yeah!" Natsu bellowed. "Nothing can stand in our way!"

A smile spread across Erza's lips as she thought about how lucky she was to be surrounded by a group of trustworthy and friendly people, who cared and looked after one another. She knew that they don't live alone; they are all members of one body. Therefore, they're all responsible for each other- each of their lives intertwining with the others.

_That's what families are for._

"About time you guys got back; I was really worried about you guys," Makarov said and placed himself between Erza and Lucy.

"Chief," Erza greeted. "We're sorry for worrying you."

"No need to apologize, Erza! I'm glad you found Jiemma!" He said joyfully and patted the woman's shoulders. "Laxus and the others are now tracking down Simon."

Gray's eyes lit up, "So we've completed the case?!"

"Yes. I'm actually surprised that you guys managed to solve it."

Natsu pulled Lucy into his arms, "I'm all fired up!"

Makarov grabbed a something from his jacket and handed it to the Lieutenant, "On this piece of paper is an address for a bar that sells the best beer in Fiore. This'll be my treat for you guys." He murmured, and turned to Jellal, who was speaking to Ultear and Meredy. "Take Jellal with you; without him, we wouldn't have caught Jiemma!"

Erza nodded, "Yes, Chief."

When Jellal finished his conversation with the two, the three made their way to the Fairy Tail police members.

Meredy beamed with appreciation, "We would like to thank you all for helping us with this case!"

"It was no problem at all; we felt very privileged to be working side by side with you guys." Erza handed them the address Makarov gave her.

"What's this?" Ultear asked, pushing the paper into Jellal's chest.

"We would like you to come and have a drink with us tonight." Gray invited.

Juvia turned to Jellal, "Are you coming?"

The group became inaudible as they waited patiently for him to answer.

He nodded, "I don't see why not."

Natsu grinned and turned to Lucy; he noticed that she never took an eye off Jellal, and even after he answered, her gaze never left him. "Luce," he shook her gently. "You alright?"

"Huh?" She asked, completely clueless as to what was going on. "Yeah, I'm fine!"

"Let us all retire to our homes and prepare for tonight!" Gray said cheerfully.

The group split up and headed their separate ways. Erza left with Lucy and Juvia- they were clearly excited about the night to come. While Ultear and Meredy followed Jellal.

He pulled Natsu and Gray into his office and gestured for Ultear and Meredy to enter.

"Jellal, what the hell's going on?" Gray asked, alerted by his abrupt movement.

"Yeah!" Natsu agreed angrily and balled his fist. "You could tell us to meet you in your office!"

Jellal sighed and scratched the back of his head nervously, "I didn't want Erza, Lucy or Juvia to find out about this."

"About what?"

"Natsu, Gray, Ultear and Meredy," He initiated, and stared out at the city of Caelum stretched before him. "Before we go out tonight, I want you to meet me at Strauss bakery."

"Why?!" The group asked in perfect sync.

"There's something important I must tell you guys."

* * *

A streak of lightning flashed above and more rain came thundering down from the gray clouds that plundered the hidden cerulean sky.

As Jellal stood and got drenched in the rain, the tears on his cheeks were no longer identifiable; they were no longer stained with liquid emotions. The sky mourned with him, for his loss. The pain was not over.

He wanted to stop the tears because it wouldn't bring them back.

Levy would always say that crying would be how the eyes spoke when the mouth can't explain how broken the heart really was.

_She was right._

His heart wasn't just broken; it was destroyed.

Jellal thought that revenge would make him feel better. But, to be honest, it never did. He, in fact, felt worse.

They said Levy was a hero. They said she was smart, loyal, righteous and honorable.

_They were right._

She was going to be a mother and a crime novelist. She had a future, a really bright one, ahead of her. But, because of Jellal, that future was stolen from her.

It was because of Jellal that his friends were put in danger. It was because of him that Levy and Gajeel are dead.

The list goes on.

The blue haired man suddenly flinched as the night became silent around him, and he felt at ease. He forced himself to stare at the bright stone, the stone his sister rested beneath. He closed his eyes and lifted his head to the sky.

_He needed to end this._

* * *

**If any of you are guys are still confused as to what's going on, don't be afraid to PM me about! Don't worry, I won't bite (yet)!**

**Hopefully, I'll get the next chapter up before I go on holiday.**

**Untill then!**


	24. Chapter 24

**I'm so sorry for such a painfully loong wait! I've been really busy this week!**

**This is the second to last chapter and everything will be explained in the next chapter!**

**Please pardon my grammatical errors...**

**Chapter 24: A blast from the past...**

* * *

"He's really gonna do it, huh…?" Asked Natsu as Gray opened the door to the bar they were going to celebrate in.

"He insisted," Gray reminded, keeping his voice low so that no one heard him. "Therefore, we must let him do what he wants..."

They've just returned from Strauss bakery after Jellal gave his most important and his final meeting. While with him, they could sense the fear in his, now, small voice- that alone made them realize that he has reached the end of the line. He told them that he didn't need their help anymore and they respected his decision.

Because Jellal was always right.

_Or so they thought..._

"I don't get it..." Natsu stopped midway to the counter and lowered his head. "I wanna help him."

"You agreed not to."

The pinkette wished he never agreed to not help Jellal. Sure, he was a smart and strong man- but even the most powerful of people require some help at times, and Jellal was no exception. He remembered this very well because Erza Scarlet was the one who told him this.

_'Don't tell Erza...'_

Jellal's voice echoed in Natsu's head and he winced because the bluenette was crying then.

"You okay, man?" Gray asked as he noticed that Natsu suddenly grimaced. "Jellal told us to stop thinking about it."

"Don't tell me what to do!" Retaliated Natsu angrily, and he faced the ravenette quickly. "I'm not thinking about anything!"

"You better stop screaming or I'll punch you in the face, idiot!"

"You guys are finally here!"

Natsu and Gray stopped their argument and turned to see who interrupted them. There were two men running towards the two and they looked as though they were running away from monsters. One of them has orange hair and he was very thin while the other had dark brown hair and was relatively large.

"Thank goodness!" The large man pointed at the corner if the bar. "Something happened!"

"What is it, Droy?!" Gray asked desperately. He needed them to answer quickly. Otherwise, the girls could be in trouble.

Droy looked over to his orange-haired friend and gulped, "They're so scary!"

"Jet, what the hell's going on?" Natsu growled, grabbing the thin man by his collars.

Gray rushed forward and made his way to the corner of the bar, where the girls were situated. However, once he reached there, he was surprised to see that all of them had sake bottles in their hands and we're very... drunk.

"Who gave 'em all the sake?!" Gray demanded, quickly turning to the three terrified men behind him. "This is bad..." Natsu whispered, staring at the women with wide eyes.

Erza let out a grunt and the four looked at her with a fearful expression.

"Stop being such a buzz kill and drink with us!" She growled, shaking the sake bottle in her hand.

A drunk Erza was never a good thing. The group realized that when she's drunk, she can get really angry and aggressive- not to mention that she's quite forgetful too.

Not only was Erza drunk, so was Lucy, Ultear, Meredy, and Juvia. The five were all sitting on the floor, with loads of empty bottles littered around them. Gray gently nudged Jet.

"When did Ultear and Meredy her here-"

Before he could finish his sentence, however, Erza let out another animal-like noise and threw a bottle at him, screaming: "Stop complaining and just drink, idiot!"

Juvia sobbed hysterically and grabbed Erza's arm.

"Waahhh!" She cried, shaking the redhead. "Don't do that to my beloved Gray-sama!"

"Get offa me!" Lieutenant slurred; her cheeks flushed and her mind very hazy.

"Again with the 'Gray-sama'?" The ravenette asked, rubbing the spot where the bottle made contact with him.

"She likes you, Gray," Ultear smirked and took a large gulp from her drink. "You should kiss her."

"Wait-"

Gray was suddenly tackled by, none other than, Juvia herself. The man screamed, fell onto the ground and attempted to move away from the emotion bluenette, who was now crying a river in the poor man.

"Gray-sama... You're so mean to Juvia." She wailed, pressing her body down on him. "Why can't you just have a drink with Juvia?"

Natsu pressed the palm of his hand on his forehead, "This is utter chaos..." he murmured.

Lucy crawled over to him and grabbed his arm, "Natsu," she cooed. "I wanna be a cat."

"LUCY?!" The pinkette screamed, shocked by Lucy's drunk personality. "YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE ACTING LIKE THIS!"

"I wanna be a cat," The blonde repeated and pointed at her chin. She smiled wryly, "Since I'm a cat now, can you scratch my chin?"

Natsu's eye twitched. He didn't expect Lucy to be this drunk- she probably doesn't even know what she's doing. He could tell by looking in her eyes that she was definitely not thinking about her actions and she was just being careless.

_Damn alcohol..._

He hesitantly reached out and rubbed her chin. But, when she immediately began purring, Natsu removed his hand and screamed: "THIS WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE THIS; WHAT THE HELL'S GOING ON WITH THIS WORLD?!"

"Hey, Wakaba," Erza grabbed Droy's hair and glared at him with her, now, piercing brown eyes. "Why are you so fat now?"

Droy gulped, "I'm not Wakaba. I'm Droy!"

The redhead released him, kissed her teeth in annoyance and grabbed Jet's purple shirt, "Are you just gonna look at me or are you gonna challenge me to a fight, Natsu?"

"I'm not Natsu!" Jet stammered, obviously terrified at Erza's drunk demeanor. "I'm Jet!"

"SHUT UP! WHO ASKED YOU TO SPEAK!"

Jet and Droy gulped.

_Erza was really drunk._

"I can hear screaming from outside, is everything okay?" A concerned voice asked from out of the blue.

Gray looked around for the person who can save him from the drunken woman on top of him, and his eyes landed on Jellal who, like them, had a very shocked expression on his face.

As soon as Jellal saw what was going on, his eyes widened so much that they threatened to slip out his sockets and his mouth dropped to the floor.

"What in Earthland's going on in here?" He questioned and then turned to the ravenette who was still being cried on by an incredibly frantic Juvia. Natsu, on the other hand, was rampaging around the bar because he thought someone forced the girls to drink all those alcoholic beverages. Ultear and Meredy were sitting back-to-back while downing another bottle, and Erza was scolding Jet and Droy.

Once Erza's gaze connected with Jellal's, she stood up, folded her arms in front of her chest and narrowed her eyes, looking as though she was about to kill someone.

"What took ya so long?" She blurted. Her face was red and her hair was tousled.

"Uh…"

"That doesn't really matter; go get a drink!" Erza commanded. She grabbed a bottle beside her leg and hid it from him, "You can't have this one, it's mine!"

Jellal winced, "Why are they so drunk?"

Ultear stood up shakily and stumbled towards the bluenette, "Yo," she greeted and swung her arm around his shoulder.

Just as Jellal thought, she reeks of alcohol.

"Greetings, Ultear..."

"Erza's been waiting you, and I've been wondering… when you two are gonna make babies?"

"WHAT?!" Jellal, Gray, Natsu, Jet and Droy shrieked in unison.

The bluenette felt his cheeks burning like a fire and soon, his tattoo was no longer visible on his crimson colored face. He wiped his sweaty palms on the sides of his pants and glared at the raven-haired woman.

"You're drunk, Ultear."

The ravenette laughed at his comment and pushed a bottle into his stomach, causing his breath to suddenly hitch in his throat.

"Stop talking and just drink, you ass."

"I'm not in the mood," Jellal sighed and turned away from the ravenette.

"Oi," Erza called, grabbing his arm. "Where are going?!"

When her hand made contact with his arm, he felt his heart rip out his chest and more sweat beads trickle down his back.

"Jellal," Gray struggled beneath Juvia in an attempt to free himself from her grip- but his movements were futile. "You might as well get away from here while you still have the-"

"Gray-sama, why won't you drink with Juvia?" The blue haired woman sobbed.

Jellal opened his mouth to speak, but Erza shoved a bottle into his mouth and forced the content into his mouth. He felt the alcohol burn the back of his throat and his vision suddenly became fuzzy. Frantically, he waved his arms around to detach the bottle from his lips- but Erza didn't remove.

Once the liquid was gone, Erza pulled the bottle away, grabbed another and smirked at Jellal, who was now on the floor, panting and coughing his heart out.

"Y'lose," Erza mis-articulated, tipping the bottle back and gulping down the rest. When she was done, she threw the bottle to the side, "I'm the winner!"

The blue haired man wiped the saliva from his lips and glared at the scarlet haired woman. He stood up, swayed a little and then grabbed the wall for support. The world around him started to move on its own and his eyesight quickly blurred.

"Dammit," he grunted and pressed his hand on his sweaty forehead. "I didn't want to get drunk tonight..."

"Jellal!" Erza screamed and grabbed his jacket hard. "I want you to fuck me so hard tonight, I won't be able to walk tomorrow."

Jellal stared at her for a moment, trying to decipher what she just said. As soon as he realized what she just said, his mouth hung, his eyes popped out his head and his heart raced rapidly his chest.

"Excuse me?" He choked, hoping the alcohol would make him faint so he'd be able to escape this situation. "Erza, I can't-"

"Don't be shy, Jellal!" Ultear smirked, poking her nose into their conversation. "Show her what you got!"

"Ultear, don't provoke her!" Jellal warned.

"You're so boring," Erza whined and placed her pale hands on his chest. Her fingers worked away at his buttons, slowly undoing them to reveal the peak of his chest and collarbone.

"Erza, what are you doing?"

"Are you a real man?!" Ultear snorted, leaving the two. "You really need to stop being so shy!"

"S-Shy?!" The man stammered, feeling Erza's hands dance on his torso. His eyes squeezed shut when her finger reached his belt.

Quickly, he seized her hands to stop himself from hyperventilating.

Erza pouted, "What are you doing?"

"I could ask _you_ the same thing!" Jellal fired back angrily.

"I'm taking out your clothes!" She growled with just as much aggression as him- maybe slightly more.

Jellal rolled his eyes, "We're in public."

"Jellal," Natsu, who has stopped raging and breaking everything, picked Lucy up and carried her out the bar. "We're leaving now so be careful."

Gray nodded and joined his pink-haired friend, carrying a passed-out Juvia on his shoulders, "Yeah, don't do anything stupid."

Lieutenant punched his arm and grunted again, "I want another drink!" She demanded furiously, hitting him in the arm again. "C'mon!"

The bluenette frowned and swept her off her feet, carrying her on his shoulder like a bag of rice. Growing tired of the redhead's demanding behavior, he decided to take her back home where she can't cause any more damage.

"Hey!" Erza slammed her fist into his back and squirmed on his shoulder; her cheeks were still as red as her hair, indicating that she was still under the influence of the depressant. "I want another drink, NOW!"

"You better stop screaming," Jellal hissed darkly, earning a grunt from the woman. "Otherwise, I'll make sure you forget how to walk tomorrow."

Erza stuck her tongue out at him, "You don't make any sense!"

The man narrowed his eyes.

_Tonight was going to be a long night..._

* * *

The first thing Erza noticed when she awoke the next morning was soreness. She winced when the sensation spread from her torso to the rest of her weary body. Her head immediately throbbed painfully and she kept her eyes closed, wanting to get rid of the headache. However, when she felt a hand on her cheek, her eyes opened almost instantly.

Lieutenant's gaze connected with Jellal's soft eyes and he lifted his lips to form a shaky smile.

"Hey," He whispered, a small hint of sadness within his deep, beautiful voice.

Erza returned the smile, despite realizing the hidden sadness in him. The two just stared at each other for a mere few seconds until she shifted beneath the sheets; that was when she noticed that she was, in fact, naked.

Her face burned like crazy and she squeaked, "What happened?" She asked, sitting up abruptly.

"Woah," Jellal grabbed her arms and looked at her. "You still look a little sore from last night."

"Last night…?" The redhead gritted.

"Yeah," He lifted his hand and scratched the back of his neck nervously. "Last night was pretty rough; I wouldn't be so surprised if you're not able to walk today."

Memories of the events that took place last night hit her hard. Too hard, in fact.

She face-palmed, "what the hell was I thinking, drinking all that sake?" she scolded. "I hope I didn't pressure you too much..."

"Not at all," he admitted, his smile widening. "I actually had fun."

"Fun?!"

Jellal chuckled and looked down at his brown combat boots, his smile suddenly vanished from his thin lips. He held his hands together and sighed, unable to tell Erza about what was going to happen from now onwards.

Erza noticed his sudden change in mood and reached from his hand- that was when she realize he was fully clothed; he wore a pair of jeans, a black shirt, and a black leather jacket.

"Are you going somewhere?"

"U-uh," he stammered, unsure as to what to tell her.

Feeling rather frustrated with him, she grasped his jacket and began shaking him, "Jellal, tell me what's going on!" She growled, not caring about the fact that her upper half was completely exposed.

He gritted his teeth, "Erza," He exclaimed, embracing the woman tightly in his arms. "I'm sorry!"

The scarlet haired woman gasped, feeling his clothed body pressed up against her bare one. It was very unusual for Jellal to suddenly apologize unless he had a good reason to do so. She could feel his face pressed onto her neck, along with something wet. Soon, the liquid accumulated on her neck slid down beneath her breasts and the man sobbed quietly.

_He's crying._

"Why are you crying, Jellal?" Erza questioned seriously, worried that the alcohol was still taking effect on him. "What's going on?"

The ultramarine groaned, "I'm sorry," he repeated.

He lifted his head from her neck and that's when Erza saw all of it.

His tears of sadness.

Erza was confused. Jellal wasn't the type of person to suddenly bawl for no apparent reason, nor was he the type to apologize out of the blue and why was he sad all of a sudden? Questions just kept flooding in her mind, which didn't help her already pounding headache.

"Forgive me," His voice murmured, shakily; the sound of tears lacing the words seemed oddly familiar to the point that it was a twisted type of serenity. Without thinking, he moved his face closer and sealed her lips with his.

Once their lips made contact, Erza could taste it.

_The goodbye he'd been longing to tell her._

Before she could kiss him back, however, Jellal pulled back and looked into her eyes which were now beginning to fill with tears. In that instant, his heart clenched painfully in his chest and he wished he'd never woke her up in the first place. Seeing her like this, so upset and vulnerable, shredded his heart.

He loved her, no doubt about that; he loved her with every ounce of his being. She was the woman who filled his world with light- an angel who descended from the heavens to save his soul from the darkness of his past. His mind went blank. He couldn't think, he was unable to speak and he couldn't bring himself to let her go.

_But he had no choice._

"Jellal?" Erza whispered quietly, trying her best to keep the tears from falling. "You're not-"

"Hush…" He cooed, covering her mouth with his hand. "Everything's going to be okay..."

Erza grabbed his hand and squeezed it tight, "What are you hiding from me?" She asked, feeling very frustrated about the fact that he was still keeping secrets. "You know you could trust me!"

The agent smiled warmly at her, "I know I could trust you, Erza." He murmured, pulling something out his pocket. "However, it'll be safer if you never knew."

"What-"

Jellal lifted the chloroform coated tissue in his hand and pressed it against her mouth. The woman let out a short gasp before melting in his arms, her eyes slowly closing.

"Forgive me," He gently lowered her down and pecked her forehead. "I wasn't suppose to wake you and you weren't meant to see me..."

Erza tried to move her body, but her limbs refused to move and her eyes were starting to feel heavy. For many years, she never thought Jellal would suddenly knock her out. The redhead knew that he must a valid reason to do so, but what was it? Why did he do it?

When he gave her one last glance, that was when she comprehended:

_He wanted to see her one last time..._

* * *

"So, you actually came?" Asked a hooded man, who watched as Jellal stepped out the airport.

After the condensing with Erza, Jellal flew to the Pergrande Kingdom to confront the criminal gang that Jiemma told him about before Natsu took him away. Jellal, for some reason, was the only one that heard what Jiemma said and hopefully, he was correct.

The ultramarine wanted to finally look at the people who sent Jiemma and Simon to kill his family, as well as his friend. He wanted to see the faces of these 'humans'.

"Yeah," Jellal hissed. "I came."

"So, did Jiemma tell you what we wanted?"

"You want information on both Face and END, which are nuclear weapons created by the army." The bluenette explained and moved closer to the silhouette so he could see the man's face.

Though this man was supposed to be a stranger to Jellal, he, somehow, recognized his voice because it sounded exactly like his own, but deeper.

"You look pale, Jellal."

_'That voice...'_ He thought.

When he finally identified the voice, he gasped in pure shock and jumped several feet back.

"No, it can't be!"

While Jellal let his guard down, the hooded man launched himself at the ultramarine, pulled a syringe out from his pocket and injected something into the side of his neck.

"You know this chemical?" He asked, holding Jellal tightly within his arms so he didn't move. "Suxamethonium chloride- it is said to cause short term paralysis."

The agent could feel his entire body tingling and before he knew it, he collapsed, hitting the ground hard. He tried to flex his arms but they didn't move and his legs were completely immobilized, leaving him motionless on the floor, unable to defend himself.

_That was when he began to panic._

"Wha-" he started, but his voice started to trail off and now, he could barely speak. "Whaa…"

The man pulled down his hood to reveal blue hair, much like his own, cold hazel eyes, which were nothing like Jellal's, and a maroon tattoo staining the right side of his face. He kicked Jellal over so that he was lying on his back, facing him.

_'No…'_ Jellal thought, disbelieving the fact that this man had the exact features as himself.

The lookalike lifted his foot and smashed it into Jellal's face, "Time to say goodbye, Jellal!"

That was when the ultramarine deciphered the stranger's name. Before he faded into the blackness, he muttered something that caused the attacker to grin widely.

"Dad…"


	25. Chapter 25

**GAAH! I'm terribly sorry for the super, long ass wait! This chapter took me forever to write, thanks to writer's block -.-**

**This is the last chapter, guys! I can't believe this story has finally come to an end; it seems a little weird, though.**

**I now present thee with the final chapter of 'Remember me', enjoy!**

**Chapter 25: The defector.**

* * *

Sunlight danced upon Erza's eyelids and she winced when it caused her eyes to sting a little. A muffled groan escaped her throat and she turned to her side so that she was facing away from the sun; she expected to find a certain blue haired man beside her, but when she felt her face hit something soft and fluffy, she opened her eyes and found a pillow cushioning her. The woman was surprised to find that she was fully clothed, lying on someone's sofa, certainly not Jellal's.

Last night, after the celebrating, Jellal and her spent some time together. But what happened after made Erza's heart sink in her chest; he looked insecure and didn't want her help though it seemed like he really needed it. He turned her down once again even though he desperately required, not just her help, but Fairy Tail Police department's help too. And, in a split second, he drugged her and then he was gone.

_He left her again._

Erza gritted her teeth and punched the pillow out of pure anger and frustration. As a child, she always remembered Jellal as a person who would not accept the help of others because he thought he could do everything on his own; he was independent and the redhead respected that because she too, wanted to be unrestrained.

But Erza really want for him to, just this once, let them help him because she knew that even though he was an ex-soldier, a spy, and one of Fiore's best agents- he was never going to win against his opponents because they know how to cleverly manipulate his feelings.

For some reason, she felt like he was going to be okay since Ultear told her that he is a man that can pull off anything. _But does Ultear know who are the people doing this, and does she know what they're capable of doing?_

The scarlet haired woman sat up slowly and looked around. Only to find herself sitting on someone's living room- but she couldn't care less because she couldn't stop thinking about Jellal and how he has many enemies. The fact that he knows such classified information from the president terrified her; it also made her think whether or not she knew Jellal at all.

"Erza," Gray murmured, walking into the living room.

Erza's eyes flickered from the floor to Gray's face, "Where are we?" She asked almost inaudibly. "What's going on?"

The ravenette cleared his throat awkwardly and sat beside his friend, concern apparent in his navy-blue eyes.

"Last night..."

The woman grabbed his hand and shook it, quickly grabbing his attention.

"Gray!" She growled. "What the hell happened?!"

"Jellal took you here and told us never to try to find or contact him." He explained slowly and watched Erza's face tense. "He's gone."

"What?" Erza gasped and pulled her hand back. "You mean he's-"

When Gray nodded, that was when Erza closed her mouth, realizing that there was nothing she can say to doubt his words. She opened her mouth a couple of times, but couldn't put together a sentence to say. It was like her words shrunk, turned into ice, and slowly melted away. Deep down, she could feel her heart spiral into a deep abyss; obliterated the warmth and happiness from within, the feeling of certainty quickly diminishes. At which point, anger, and confusion filled in their truancy.

"Erza," Gray murmured, breaking the tension in the air. "I'm sorry for not telling you sooner."

"No, don't be." She whispered, lowering her head. "I was just... never mind."

The inspector swallowed hard. He didn't know what to say to comfort his friend. Seeing her like this made him want to kill Jellal because he was the one that did this to her.

"Maybe we could still find him?" Gray asked. "I mean if we-"

"That's not possible, Gray." Interrupted a new voice.

Erza lifted her head to see Ultear, Jellal's good friend, and boss, walk into the living room.

"Jellal's gone for good; there's no point in trying to track him." She elucidated, joining the latter. "We should just leave him; he knows what he's doing."

"It didn't sound like he knew what he was doing!" Gray retaliated angrily. "Last night, he seemed like he was going to have a mental breakdown!"

"That's true, however-"

"I wonder why he looked so frightened…"

"Look, Fullbuster, this is Jellal we're talking about here; Mavis knows what's going through his mind at that time!"

"What are you guys talking about?!" Erza demanded. "What happened last night?"

Both Gray and Ultear exchanged nervous looks, unsure as to whether or not they should tell her what happened during their final meeting with Jellal.

After a few minutes, Ultear gave in. Erza had to at least know what was going on, especially because she was the woman Jellal loved.

"Last night, Jellal had a meeting with me, Gray, Natsu and Meredy," she began, pausing to allow the redhead to soak up the information. "He told us-"

"Ultear, You know we're not supposed to-"

"Be quiet, will ya?!" The raven haired woman boomed, forcing Gray to quickly shut his mouth and turn away from her. "It's for her own good."

"Ultear?" Erza questioned. "What happened?"

"Well…"

* * *

**Last night**

"What's this about, Jellal?" Ultear asked gruffly, following the blue haired man into his office. "This better be important."

Followed by them was Meredy who, like Ultear and the others, was confused about what was going on. Natsu and Gray were shoving each other behind the oblivious pink haired woman.

"I was in front of you, ya pervert!" Natsu gritted, pushing the half-naked man aside.

"Who are you callin' a pervert, you idiot!" Gray retaliated, getting ready to punch his rival in the face.

"I'm no idiot, ice princess!"

"Who the fuck are you calling an ice princess, flame brain!"

"Son of a-"

Jellal slammed the door shut and glared at the two, making Natsu raise his hand to cover his mouth. The agent briskly walked to his desk, pulled out a couple of folders and lifted it into the air.

"These folders contain information about weapons Simon and Jiemma were looking for." He explained. "They're called Face and END."

"Why did the president keep it a secret from the rest of the world?"

"Yeah," Gray acknowledged, grabbed a cup and filled it with ice cold water. "I don't see what's so bad about them."

"I bet I can easily destroy those '_weapons_' with ma bare hands!" Natsu grinned.

The bluenette closed his eyes, lowered his arms and shook his head. He waited a couple of minutes before telling them the truth about Face and END.

"They're _nuclear_ weapons," He concluded. "Weapons of mass destruction. A.K.A WMD."

Gray's eyes turned into saucers and he spat out his drink, "What?!"

"That's not possible," Ultear contradicted. "I thought they banned the making of them!"

"What do they want with them?"

Jellal turned to the pink haired girl who just asked the question.

"I don't know," He admitted, wincing at his own answer. "But, if they manage to get their hands on these documents, the world would fall into a nuclear war and no one would survive."

The room became inaudible as they waited patiently for Jellal to continue._ Who knew that Jiemma and Simon were planning something as big as this?_

"Simon and Jiemma were hired by a group of criminals; they call themselves 'Tartaros'." He continued, feeling a wave of anger wash over him. "They killed my family and friends so that I would tell them the location of it."

"They're after you because you're the only one that has documents about Face and END?!" Gray gasped. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"I didn't want you to end up dead like..." The ultramarine trailed off, feeling a large lump form in his throat.

"It's okay, Jellal," Ultear whispered softly, gently holding his shoulder.

He swallowed hard and reached into his pocket, "I'm not having them get their hands on these."

The group watched as Jellal took out a lighter and flicked the flint wheel, creating a small flame. He hovered the file over the fire and it caught alight. It started to turn black and began to crumple, turning into, what seemed to be, black snowflakes. Once everything's been burnt, he crushed the remaining remnants.

"Nothing but a pile of ash now."

He released the ash in his hand and observed it falling to the ground slowly; he couldn't help but notice how much they looked like fallen soldiers, slain by no fatal epidemic, but greedy and selfish men.

"That's not the only thing I wanted to say,"

When Jellal paused again, Natsu felt a little impatient and gestured his hand, "well…?"

"I'm going away for a while."

Awkward silence fell upon them again.

Gray waited for his mind to process what Jellal had just said. It took him a while to get his head around it; but when he did, he wasn't very happy about it because it would mean that he would be leaving Erza.

"What the fuck are you talking about?!" He barked, grabbing the man's shoulder. "You're leaving, _AGAIN_?!"

"What about Erza?" Natsu asked, staring at the bluenette with hard eyes. "You're gonna leave her?"

The group expected him to react to her name, but he didn't. Instead, he remained silent.

"Jellal, don't be ridiculous!" Ultear scolded. "We can help you get through this!"

"Thank you," Murmured Jellal as he grabbed his car key and started to make his way to the door. "But the decision has been made and I already booked my flight."

"Where are you going?" Meredy asked.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you that," Jellal sighed. "I can't have you guys following me."

"But-"

"No 'buts', Gray!" He snarled.

Gray walked back a little since he was taken aback by his sudden aggression.

The bluenette squeezed his eyes shut and relaxed a little. He didn't want to carry on the conversation because he'll end up revealing too much to them; it was best if he just moved on.

"Forgive me," He breathed. "There's no point in me hiding this because Erza's a smart woman and she'll find out one way or another."

"This isn't goodbye, right?" Asked Gray.

"No," He smiled. "Of course it's not."

Natsu nodded; "Well…" he lifted his lips to smile back at his blue haired friend. "I'll be going. I gotta pick Lucy up. You coming, Gray?"

"Sure."

As the two left, Ultear poked Jellal's shoulder, "Why did you lie to them?"

Jellal smirked, "What are you talking about?"

"Idiot," The ravenette laughed, "Me and Meredy know you're lying."

"You're not coming back, are you?" The pinkette asked.

The man shrugged, turned to his two friends, and found them staring at him with narrow eyes. He knew that there was no hiding from them.

"I can't give you a definite answer." He murmured. "Goodbye."

Ultear pursed her lips and eyed the bluenette as he left his office. Though he said 'Goodbye', she had a feeling that they will meet again in blood, fire, and anguish.

"This is _not_ goodbye, Agent Fernandez…"

* * *

Erza gawked at the raven-haired woman. Ultear's long explanation still rang in her ears, barely adequate. He drugged her and left her in the middle of the night all alone, with nothing but her thoughts to entertain her. Thoughts which were currently flooding her mind in a vortex of emotions.

She can no longer feel his warmth; he had definitely left. As she thought about what he was doing at this very moment, panic sprung up in her. They had to do something to find him. Her thoughts continued to repeat, like a circle, always bringing her back to the beginning. The never ending sadness consumed her.

She had begun to question herself, how could she have ignored the inevitable, that eventually he would leave, abandon her only after he was finally able to give her the love she deserved.

_The promise had been broken._

Gray noticed Erza's lips trembling. It was because of Jellal, Erza's vulnerable side surfaced. Because of him, she was no longer the valiant warrior everyone looked up to.

"Erza," Gray wrapped an arm around her and embraced the woman tightly, soothingly.

He rested his chin on her head and listened to her soft breathing.

Ultear watched the two with gentle eyes, "I tried my best to track him down," she whispered. "But, being the man he is, he disabled all the tracking devices I put on him, so I don't know where he is, or what he's doing-"

"We shouldn't worry," The woman pulled out of Gray's arms and stared at Ultear with tearful eyes. "It was his decision and we can't change it."

Ultear held her hands together and nodded. Erza was right; it was Jellal's decision to leave them, so they should respect it and let him do as he pleases.

The silence was broken when Erza's cell phone rang. Lieutenant jumped at the sudden noise, reached out and grabbed the handheld device.

"It's Laxus." She said, confused.

"Does that mean he's found Simon?" Ultear asked.

Gray looked at Ultear and then back to Erza, "Only one way to find out…"

Taking a breath, Erza hit the green button and pressed the phone on to her ear, "Laxus," She greeted. "What's up?"

_"Lieutenant, we have a major problem."_

The redhead scrunched up her brows and jerked her head back.

"Is everything okay?"

_"No,"_ Laxus answered. _"Simon's dead."_

* * *

Erza rummaged through the stack of paper on her desk. Now that the Fairy Tail police department has been rebuilt, she now has an office larger than before. She needed to occupy herself to take her mind off of Jellal- looking at previous murder cases didn't help.

"For goodness sake…" She huffed, and rested her head on her hands.

"Hey," Erza lifted her head and stared at the blonde haired detective entering her office.

"Oh, Lucy, hello," She greeted, frowning a little. "Got any leads on Simon's death?"

"Yes," Lucy replied, dumping herself on a chair parallel to Erza. "I've found his COD."

Intrigued, the redhead sat up and looked at the paper in Lucy's hand.

"Well?"

"Simon was strangled and then shot."

"What?!" Erza screamed, catching the attention of Lucy and the people walking outside her office. "That's not possible!"

The blonde cocked her brow, "What are you talking about?"

The scarlet haired woman stood up and raced over to the shelves beside the door. She grabbed the folder at the very back, which was now collecting dust, and slammed it on the table.

Lucy jumped, "Erza...?" She squeaked.

"Don't you remember?" Erza questioned, waving the documents in the air like a lunatic. "Bisca was killed the exact same way!"

Realization hit the blonde hard.

"Oh my god, that's right!" She gasped. "So, we're dealing with a copycat?"

"I don't think so..." Erza objected.

The calmness was then ruined by Natsu and Gray who were stampeding towards Erza's office. Natsu kicked the door open and the two entered at the same time. Unfortunately, they got stuck because the doorframe was, intentionally, not big enough for two people.

"I was here first, you idiot!" Gray barked and attempted to squeeze his way out the door.

"I was the one who found out who the killer was, bastard!" Natsu retaliated furiously, squashing the shirtless man.

Upon hearing what Natsu just said, Erza and Lucy made their way to the boys and helped them out their 'sticky' situation.

"What have you got for me?" Erza demanded.

"Laxus was able to collect some hair the killer left behind in Simon's house," Gray told them quickly, his voice shaking with a mixture of fear and uncertainty. "I and Natsu were able to partially match it to someone."

"How could you partially match DNA?" Lucy asked.

"I don't know how, but only a f-few chromosomes match our suspect,"

He was talking so fast that his words start to stick together and the others couldn't understand what he was saying.

"Usually, when you try to find a criminal, all 46 chromosomes must be a match to DNA found at the crime scene because each individual human being has 46 chromosomes and this is strange because only a few match and that-"

"Gray," Erza interrupted, cupping his face gently. "Take a deep breath and calm down."

The ravenette nodded and sucked a deep breath through his nose. The woman removed his hands from his face and held his shaking hands.

"Let's try this again," she whispered. "What's going on and why on earth are you panicking?"

"The person we matched the DNA to wasn't in the criminal database or the-" He stopped and looked at the tablet in Natsu's hand. "Erza, I think the equipment in the lab is faulty."

The woman chortled, "What makes you think that?"

"I don't know."

Natsu sighed, "This just doesn't seem possible."

Lucy hugged his arm, "What are you guys talking about?"

"Take a look yourself." The pinkette closed his eyes, faced away from Erza and raised his arm to give the table to her. "You won't like what you see..."

Erza took hold of the device and braced herself for what's to come. Once her eyes met the image on the screen, she felt as though someone pushed her into a frozen lake. Her body froze in absolute shock.

The man on the screen was very attractive; his blue hair framed a pair of dazzling hazel eyes and a scarlet tattoo ringed his right one. The light shone on his face at an angle that brought out his defined cheekbones. Yet, the name on the bottom of the screen made her heart skip.

"That's not possible," Uttered Erza as she continued to stare at the bluenette. "Our killer..."

Lucy nearly fainted when her eyes focused on the image. "Erza…" she gulped. "That can't be right..."

"… Is Jellal Fernandez?"

* * *

Somewhere, in an unknown location, a man with matt black hair and piercing red eyes stared down at a large map.

"So, now we have the location of both Face and END," He snickered and turned to a blue haired man beside him. "Thanks to your son, Siegrain."

The man going by the name 'Siegrain' smirked and crossed his arms, "Well, Zeref, you did say you needed a new member."

"Oh yes, I did." Zeref chuckled. "Simon was merely a pawn for me; just a person doing all the dirty work."

"You do realize that one Face bomb isn't enough to destroy the entire city of Fiore." He reminded.

"Once we get one Face bomb, we can easily make more! We have all the plutonium required to make more than a hundred!" The man with blood-colored eyes shouted demonically, facing up at the sky, which has now turned red because of the sunset. "We can destroy the entire world if we wanted to!"

Siegrain chuckled, "That's right."

"Your son," Zeref stopped laughing and faced the bluenette. "What happened to him?

"Don't worry," he grinned, gesturing to the doorway. "He's right here, waiting to greet you."

Footsteps could be heard coming from the doorway and Zeref turned to face the man approaching them. His striking blue hair fell upon his hard, cold hazel eyes. On the right side of his face, a blood-red colored tattoo spiraled around his right eye. The black vest he wore exposed his well-sculptured arms and a large tattoo of a dragon crawling up his forearm, hiding the star tattoo he once had.

"You wanted to see me, father?" His voice low and spiteful.

"Yes," Siegrain beamed at his son and turned to Zeref. "Allow me to introduce you to the newest member of Tartaros. He's been in the army, Special Forces and was the best agent in the Tower of Heaven secret services. He's a weapons and explosives expert. This guy is my son, Jellal Fernandez."

"That's quite a son you have there," Zeref analyzed Jellal closely. "Are you sure he's one of us?"

"We implanted a microchip in his brain which means that he's been brainwashed," Siegrain revealed. "Now, he'll do anything we ask him to do."

"Good."

Jellal laughed, "I don't think I need you to tell me what to do," he hissed. "I have a brain of my own that I know how to use."

Zeref grinned at his aggressiveness, "I like you, Jellal." He said; his voice lacking emotions. "Tell me, do you still have connections with the Fiorean army?"

"Of course not," Jellal raised his arm to show off the new tattoo he got. "I've removed my old tattoo and replaced it with this one; I believeit's more befitting, don't you think?"

"That's my boy." Siegrain slapped his back.

"Now that we have the locations of the most deadly nuclear weapons and Fiore's greatest agent by our side, people would think twice about standing in our way!"

"And, if anyone does decide to do so-" Siegrain turned to his son beside him.

Jellal hooked his thumb onto his belt and stared out at the night sky, a sinister smile manifested on his lips. "I'll exterminate them, regardless of who they are."

* * *

**Don't kill me for ending it there guys! There will be a sequel coming out for this story soon!**

**There's no way I'm finishing it there!**

**But, it'll be a while before I post the sequel for this because I need to finish my other story I'm working on.**

**I do hope you all enjoyed this story because I know I had fun writing it; it was a blast!**

**Thank you all for following, favoriting, reviewing this story! I love you all!**

**I shall see you all soon!**

**Sayonara!**


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